Tuesday's Town Hall to Address Underage Drinking

Millburn Municipal Alliance Committee will co-host a first-ever Millburn Town Hall meeting on Tuesday night to address underage drinking, something that continues to be an issue in Millburn and throughout the country.

“Millburn Township is the first community in Essex County to host a Town Hall meeting to address this alarming trend in this way,” said Gail Barry, MMAC executive director.  “We are fortunate to have a strong coalition and collaborative efforts between parents, school officials and community leaders.…We hope our program will serve as a model for surrounding communities and we can all learn from this program and begin to create safer social norms in town."

The Alliance received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to host the Town Hall meeting, which will coincide with hundreds of meetings of other communities around the country.

“We received grant money from SAMHSA to be a part of a national grassroots effort in 2012 to combat underage drinking and the negative impact of underage drinking on the health and safety of our youth in our communities,” Barry said. “And it’s fitting because April is Alcohol Awareness Month.” 

The community meeting will include representatives from law enforcement, local and county government, schools and social services.

The 2010-2011 results of the MMAC sponsored American Drug and Alcohol Survey of Millburn Township middle and high students, show that the use of alcohol climbs from 10 percent in 8th grade to 60 percent in 12th.  Statistics for both drug and alcohol use among seniors in Millburn is now above the national average, the survey shows.

Barry said that in many cases alcohol is supplied by a teen’s parents or consumed in front of parents, who think it is better for their adolescents to drink at home rather then risk driving.

 “Research shows that this is a dangerous trend,” Barry said. “Millburn has a township ordinance that should be a deterrent to teens and adults. Many are not aware of the current legal consequences that could result in civil and criminal prosecution for persons serving alcohol to minors in their homes or on their property.” 

There are many safety reasons behind the legal drinking age being set at 21, Barry said, including:

•  The teenage brain is not fully developed and can be impacted by regular and sustained use in the teenage years.
•  Teens who begin drinking early in their teens are more likely to develop alcohol-related issues and diseases later in life.
• Traffic fatalities are highest in this age group and most have an alcohol-related component.

“We love our kids and try our best to provide a healthy and developmentally appropriate adolescence to our kids,” Barry said. “Allowing them to drink and turning a blind eye is counterproductive to all our other efforts that focus on achievement both academically and athletically.”

Barry said she hopes the Town Hall meeting will get a conversation started, not only in the community but within families.

“As parents, we need to be aware and informed and have direct dialogue with our kids about the risks and consequences associated with alcohol use and drug use too,” she said. “The habits that kids develop early on are harder to break later in life. Drinking to excess is not good at any age.  Responsibility is a core value that we teach our kids each and every day and in dealing with alcohol that is no exception.”

The Town Hall meeting will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Library.

“Join us as we work to have a lasting positive impact in town,” Barry said.

MMAC will also hold its 3rd Annual Family Meal Week April 13-20, 2012, encouraging families to come together to eat dinner all week since statistics show that teens who have dinner with the family at least three times a week are less likely to abuse alcohol and drugs.