Town Hall meetings to focus on underage drinking

Children who start drinking before the age of 15 are 40 percent more likely to become alcoholics. Those who do not drink until age 21 are only 4 percent likely to develop alcohol dependency, said Janet Stork, Too Smart To Start coordinator. Every year a child delays drinking reduces the probability of alcohol dependence by 14 percent.

Stork provided those statistics and information about the Underage Drinking prevention efforts in Noble County, Indiana, a county very similar in population to Clearwater County. She spoke last week to the local Underage Drinking Town Hall meeting planners and representatives from the Clearwater County Sheriff's office.

The Orofino Town Hall meeting on Underage Drinking will be held this Thursday, April 13 at the Orofino High School gym. The hilltop forum is being held at the Weippe Discovery Center on Friday, April 14. Both events are open to students, parents and community members. They begin at 6:30 p.m.

"We'll begin the Town Hall Meeting by showing a brief video that outlines the problem, then we'll have a short panel discussion. Afterwards, we'll break into small discussion groups to begin brainstorming what can be done to reduce the level of underage drinking in our towns," said Cindy Chaney, Clearwater Substance Abuse Workgroup coordinator. "We'll summarize the results from those small groups and make that report available. CSAW will use that information to help tackle the problem."

Panelists will include Det. Becky Drewery and Cpl. Guy Cordle, Clearwater County Sheriff's Department, speaking about the legal ramifications of underage consumption. Drewery will speak in Orofino and Cordle will present in Weippe. Dr. Phillip Petersen will speak at the Orofino forum and John Beeh, PA-C, will speak at the Weippe forum about the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain. Chaney's presentation will focus on talking to children and local treatment options. Another panelist will talk about their experiences with alcohol and Amy Walker, OHS senior, will talk about her choice not to use alcohol.

"The goals of the Town Hall meetings are to raise awareness about the effects of underage drinking, to focus on the importance of talking to your child and to brainstorm ideas about what we as individuals and as community members can do to recognize and reduce the problem," said Jeanette Gorman, Clearwater Valley Hospital.

Weippe planners are arranging for an ice cream social after the event.

The meetings are cosponsored by the Clearwater Substance Abuse Workgroup, Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics, students from an OHS Government class and the Weippe Wesleyan Youth Center. Parents, students and the public are encouraged to attend.

Clearwater Substance Abuse Workgroup Coordinator Cindy Chaney (left) Clearwater County Sheriff's Department Det. Becky Drewery and Janet Stork, Too Smart To Start coordinator in Noble County, Indiana, discuss the town hall meetings scheduled this week in Orofino and on the hilltop. Stork was in town last week to present information about their organization's development.