The Hillsborough Municipal Alliance will hold presentations to make parents aware of the problems surrounding underage drinking.
By: Donna Lukiw
In an effort to get parents to be cognizant of what their teenage children may be doing while partying after upcoming prom events, the Hillsborough Municipal Alliance will offer presentations with police from the Shore towns that often have to deal with the revelers.
The alliance will be holding an underage drinking presentations May 10 and May 24 to make parents aware of the problems surrounding underage drinking, the laws about serving minors alcohol and telling parents that saying "no" to their children is important.
The first program will be offered from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 10 at the Center for Life in the Amboy Bank on New Amwell Road.
"It is important not to allow teens to convince you that ‘underage drinking is normal.’ We have learned from the Shore community police departments of the all too common emergency room visits and deaths around prom and graduation season. It is important that parents and guardians be better equipped to understand and deal with this serious problem and know the laws around serving minors alcohol," according to a press release from the Municipal Alliance.
Drinking is the most commonly used drug among youth, including 10- and 12-year-olds, and more young people drink alcohol than smoke tobacco or use marijuana.
"The parents are providing alcohol and parents are sending them (children) to Seaside Heights," Nancy Speelman Edwards, co-chairwoman of the Municipal Alliance said. "We want the parents to really get to know the law. They’re (children) using drugs and alcohol to deal with things and parents need to be strong and say ‘no’ and give curfews."
Statistics show that alcohol is the key contributing factor in the four leading causes of death of people under age 21 including traffic crashes, accidents, homicides and suicides.
Each day, three teens in the U.S. die from drinking and driving, and at least six more die from other alcohol-related cases.
Teens who use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at earlier ages, to have sexual intercourse more often, and unprotected sex leading to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
"The presentation will give the importance of parents to say ‘no’ and know what goes on in Seaside Heights," Ms. Edwards said. "It’s OK for your kids to be angry with you. We’re going to have a Seaside Heights police officer at the presentation to talk about the dangers."
Minigrants originating at the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have been provided to drug and alcohol organizations across the United States to provide for this program.
Ms. Edwards, a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor trained in working with youth of UMDNJ, School of Public Health will facilitate the program along with other youth counselors.
A short film called "This Place" will be shown which addresses this problem. Joe Engrassia, an officer from the Seaside Heights Police Department will provide important information to parents on how to keep their teens safe when visiting the beach communities.
Another scheduled film showing will be at 7:30 p.m. May 24 at the Faith Lutheran Church in Hillsborough across from the Municipal Building. Additional dates will be posted on the Hillsborough Township Web site in the future.
This is a joint project between the Hillsborough/Millstone Municipal Alliance, Hillsborough Life Skills Committee, Hillsborough Youth Services Commission, Project Graduation, Hillsborough Township Police Department and the Hillsborough Social Services Department.

