BERRIEN COUNTY — The Berrien County Health Department is promoting Alcohol Awareness Month this April in partnership with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, which has sponsored the awareness efforts since 1987.
No other substance is more widely used and abused by America’s youth than alcohol, making alcoholism and alcohol-related problems a serious public health problem in the United States.
This year’s theme for Alcohol Awareness Month, “Connecting the Dots: Opportunities for Recovery,” provides a focused opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of alcoholism, its causes, effective treatments and recovery, especially among youth. Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous and is directly associated with traffic fatalities, violence, suicide, educational failure, overdose, unsafe sex and other problem behaviors, even for those who may never develop a dependence or addiction. Adolescence is a time of heightened risk-taking and as alcohol and drugs enter the picture, parents are faced with a unique set of challenges.
“Alcohol use is a very risky business for young people,” said Lisa Peeples-Hurst, Berrien County Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist at the Berrien County Health Department. “And parents can make a difference. The longer adolescents delay drinking, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated with it. That’s why it is so important to help your child connect the dots and make smart decisions about avoiding alcohol.”
The Berrien County Health Department will promote Alcohol Awareness Month with recognition of the “Alcohol Free Weekend”, observed March 31 through April 2, which asks parents and other adults to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for a 72-hour period to demonstrate that alcohol is not necessary to have a good time.
The Berrien County Health Department will be distributing “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” yard signs to community members and working with alcohol retailers to display the message near alcohol inventory to discourage parents and adults from purchasing alcohol for adolescents.
The Berrien County Health Department continues its efforts to eliminate underage drinking by working with students, parents, and alcohol vendors/retailers to educate about the dangers of underage drinking, highlight local resources that provide treatment and recovery options, and give tips for parents to engage in the important conversations with their children about alcohol use.