Letter from the Editor: Alcohol Awareness Month

April is not only set-aside for Autism Awareness but also for alcohol awareness.

Alcohol use among children starts early and increases rapidly with age. A higher percentage of youth aged 12-to-20 use alcohol 29 percent, than the use of tobacco at 24 percent or illicit drugs at 14 percent. This makes underage drinking a leading public health problem in the United States.

It is very important to educate teens on alcohol and the dangers of alcohol use.

On Thursday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Capital Area Human Services Prevention Division is sponsoring an Underage Drinking Prevention town hall meeting at LeBlanc Special Services Center located at 611 N. Burnside Ave., Gonzales to raise awareness of the status and risks of underage drinking in Ascension Parish.

Here are some tips to share with others about alcoholism:

* Make a pledge with your friends that you will help each other avoid alcohol and other drugs. Leave parties where kids are drinking.

    * If a friend, or someone you know, has passed out from drinking too much alcohol, turn the person on his or her side and call 911 or your local emergency number for help. Too much alcohol can cause the central nervous system, which controls breathing, to shut down. Death can result.

    * Don't ride with someone who has been drinking. Call a taxi, your parents, or another relative or friend for a ride.

    * Encourage someone you think has a drinking problem to get help. Go with them to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or to meet with a counselor.

    * Suggest that members of any club or youth group you belong to organize an anti-drinking project — an alcohol-free post-prom, graduation, or New Year's Eve party.

    * Make a presentation to your school's PTA meeting about how teachers and parents can realistically help kids avoid drugs and alcohol.

    * Ask for help if someone is pressuring you to try alcohol or other drugs. Talk to someone you trust.

For more information regarding alcohol use amongst teens, please visit. http://www.thecoolspot.gov/.