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Home > News
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| Friday, November 06, 2009
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9:09 AM
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Contact: Tonya Osinkosky
Coordinator, Health Education and Awareness
RMH Community Health
540-433-4421
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council will host a town hall meeting on underage drinking at 7 p.m., Nov. 19 at Skyline Middle School featuring a presentation by Brian Kelley, PhD, on “Adolescent Brain Development and Underage Drinking.”
In addition, members of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council will give a brief presentation on Project Sticker Shock, and youth will have the opportunity to walk through an obstacle course using the Fatal Vision goggles.
Statistics from the 2007 Youth Data Survey in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County show that nearly a quarter of area youth have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and the average age of a first-time user is 13.2 years.
“While the local 30-day use data is lower than the national average (32.4 percent), both local 30-day use and age of onset data should concern our community,” said Tonya Osinkosky, coordinator of Health Education and Awareness, RMH Community Health. She noted research by Dr. Kelley indicates the long-term consequences of adolescent alcohol use include addiction, illness or even death, and the earlier drinking starts, the higher the likelihood of addiction and other adverse events.
“Adolescence is a pivotal developmental period marked by dramatic changes in bodily processes and thinking,” Dr. Kelley said. “These abrupt changes contribute to risky behaviors in teens like substance abuse, reckless driving, and sexual activity. These high risk behaviors are radically increased by alcohol as impulse control is further inhibited, while risk taking is more stimulated.”
Many parents and teens underestimate the significance of drinking; however, it is precisely this point that contributes to underage drinking, noted Dr. Kelley. “For teens, it’s not just a beer; it’s a drug,” he said.
For more information, contact Tonya Osinkosky, 540-433-4421, or Katie Baird, 540-568-6007. The event is free and open to the public.
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