LICADD and the Village of Sea Cliff Unite to Fight Underage Drinking

The Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (LICADD) and Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy are joining forces to stop underage drinking. A Town Hall Meeting will be held to bring together parents, teachers, elected officials, youth and other community members to help combat this rising problem.

Statistics show that about 40% of high school students admit to alcohol use in the last month and nearly 1 out of every 7 tenth graders and about 2 out of every 7 twelfth graders reported being drunk at least once in the last month. Underage alcohol use is associated with academic failure, illicit drug use, tobacco use, unsafe sexual behavior and increased risk for violence.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 7:30pm to 9pm at Sea Cliff Village Hall, 300 Sea Cliff Avenue in Sea Cliff. It is an opportunity for all who attend to learn about how underage drinking affects our kids and the community, speak out about concerns, fears and ideas and together, brainstorm possible strategies for keeping our kids safe.

LICADD’s Executive Director, Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds said, “With Spring around the corner and underage drinking up nationally, now is the perfect time to address one of Nassau’s most pressing issues. We thank Mayor Bruce Kennedy for his leadership and commitment to keeping our kids safer.”