Town Hall Meetings Across America Addressing Underage Drinking
In response to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to prevent and reduce underage drinking, more than 1,600 town hall meetings will take place all across the country during the week of March 31–April 4. These meetings are designed to raise awareness about new information on the public health risk that this problem poses as well as the steps that communities and individuals can take to combat and prevent it. Meetings will take place throughout all 50 states and most U.S. territories.
Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., kicked off the series of events last night at Central Wyoming College, along with Wyoming's First Lady Nancy Freudenthal and U.S. Senator John Barrasso. The meetings, sponsored by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in collaboration with the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking and state and local organizations, will provide greater insight into the nature and scope of the problem and steps for preventing it through reduced demand, availability and access. Parents and other concerned citizens will be given knowledge and tools to connect with today's youth about the dangers of underage drinking.
For information on a Town Hall Meeting being held in your area and the participating speakers, go to http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhall/flashmap/2008/locations.aspx and click on the interactive map. At last count, 1,603 meetings were scheduled.