Program targets underage drinking.Byline: Matt Cooper Matt Cooper may refer to:
Nearly one in three Lane County eighth-graders have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days, health officials say. That's higher than the national average and sets a dangerous precedent, they say - and they hope to do something about it. Lane County and many communities in Oregon have joined a national effort to bring attention to what officials call a leading cause of death among youth: alcohol. "The good news is that underage drinking can be prevented and reduced," said Dr. Martin Klos, chairman of the Lane County Coalition to Prevent Substance Abuse. "When parents and other caring adults talk to youth, they need to share the high hopes and expectations they have for them. Then the young people will tend to make healthier choices." Officials say alcohol contributes substantially to adolescent ad·o·les·cent adj. Of, relating to, or undergoing adolescence. n. A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity; a teenager. motor vehicle crashes, suicide, rape and family or school problems. The legal drinking age The legal drinking age is a limit assigned by governments to restrict the access of children and youth to alcoholic beverages. In most countries the legal age to purchase alcohol is at least 18, but there are notable exceptions. in Oregon is 21. Local leaders will meet Thursday to talk about how to slow underage drinking through parental involvement and education. Research suggests that parents can be strong influences in alcohol use by teens - either discouraging dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. or fostering it, officials said. Forty percent of youth get alcohol from someone else's parents, and 32 percent get it from their parents, the American Medical Association American Medical Association (AMA), professional physicians' organization (founded 1847). Its goals are to protect the interests of American physicians, advance public health, and support the growth of medical science. said. About 66 percent of teens said the greatest risk associated with drinking alcohol or using other drugs is upsetting their parents. `Young people are telling us that they want adult guidance to show them how to make healthy choices,' Klos said. Town hall participants include members of Lane County Coalition to Prevent Substance Abuse; Lane County Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS ; police and school resource officers; McKenzie High School Principal Jim Severson; Marti Templeton, school prevention specialist; Susie Walsh, executive director of Committed Partners for Youth; and Junction City Junction City, city (1990 pop. 20,604), seat of Geary co., NE Kans., at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers; inc. 1859. The rail, trade, and processing center of an agricultural and dairy area, it grew as the supply point for nearby Fort Riley, High School senior Sabrina Black. TOWN HALL MEETING When/where: 6 p.m. Thursday, Catholic Community Services of Lane County, 1025 G St., Springfield. Child care available across the street at Brattain House. More information on local parental guidance program: 682-3817 |
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