Lyme-Old Lyme’s prevention coalition, Community Action for Substance Free Youth (CASFY), announces the launch of a new media campaign aimed at parents and all adults.
“While underage drinking has decreased in Lyme-Old Lyme among school age youth according to our data, it is still our Number One youth drug problem,” reports Karen Fischer, CASFY’s Prevention Coordinator. “All adults in our communities play a very significant role in preventing underage drinking. CASFY members chose our new campaign with the objective of reinforcing adults to do the right thing and protect all of our youth.”
Community members will see posters of hands with the message “To Get to Alcohol, Kids Have To Get Through Us.” Shoreline Sanitation trucks and road banners will display a message specifically for parents: “I Will Be a Parent [Not a Bartender.] The Majority of Parents Say “No” to Underage Drinking.”
Mary Seidner, Director of Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau, is optimistic about reducing underage drinking. “CASFY has been keeping a steady drumbeat of messages to youth and adults about the risks of underage drinking and what can be done to prevent it. It is encouraging to me that more and more parents report that they are calling the parents of their teens’ friends to check on monitoring plans for parties and sleepovers.”
Glenn Bair, a parent member of CASFY, observed, “Parents seem to feel more empowered to discuss their family’s rule of “no underage drinking” with their own children, their children’s friends and their parents, too. We want more parents to have these conversations to sustain the gains we have made and further decrease alcohol use among our teens.”
Julie O’Brien, another parent member of CASFY, says, “I’m not hearing adults say that underage drinking is “just a rite of passage” nearly as much as in the past. And I think the majority of parents have gotten the message that allowing drinking at home and “taking away the keys” not only increases drinking but also puts parents in legal jeopardy.”
Martin Lane, Old Lyme police officer, stresses that all youth and adults in the community should know underage drinking laws. “CASFY sent all parents of Lyme-Old Lyme High School students a summary of Connecticut’s underage drinking laws, including the penalties for youth who use and adults who either provide alcohol to underage youth or allow underage drinking on their property. We also sent a summary of marijuana laws. All high school students received the same information. Many were unaware of the jeopardy to their families if they made the wrong decision about drinking and drugs.” (Copies of the laws are available at lysb.org.)
“I can’t emphasize enough how the whole community has pulled together to work on keeping our youth safe,” said Mrs. Fischer. “School personnel, selectmen, town librarians, police officers, firefighters, members of the business community, parents, youth—the cooperation and collaboration is outstanding.”
The Coalition would especially like to thank Old Lyme resident John Morrison and his company Connecticut Sign for many hours of work on this project and his generous in-kind donation that reduced the cost of the campaign. CASFY also deeply appreciates the cooperation of Gary Yuknat of Shoreline Sanitation for donating the use of his trucks for the campaign graphics.
Funding for the media campaign is from a federal grant through the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut. It is licensed from Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council.
Local businesses and others wishing to participate in the campaign by displaying campaign images either on posters, flyers, websites or Facebook pages should contact Karen Fischer, 860-434-7208 or email [email protected].
The Mission of the Community Action for Substance Free Youth (CASFY) is to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug use among youth by collaborating with the community to raise awareness, modify social norms, educate youth and adults, initiate policy change and promote healthy activities. All youth and adults who live or work in Lyme or Old Lyme are invited to join in their efforts. Contact CASFY through lysb.org or call 860-434-7208.
Well-intentioned effort but start with our current Board of Education members: why are we telling our kids not to drink when BOE members hit the bars after every meeting???? Great role models for our kids….