March 24, 2008 - Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) Representatives will be attending Town Hall Alcohol Awareness meetings to discuss alcohol trends and related issues in local neighborhoods and across the state. 

Chairperson Nida Samona said, "Parents, teachers, and school administrative staff are often first to face serious issues with young people, such as alcohol abuse. That's why we feel it's so important for the Commission to partner with school and communities. We are trying to reach out to as many adults as possible so they can help prevent alcohol use and other destructive behavior at an early age."

Currently scheduled are stops at the Marshall United Methodist Church on Old US 27 today (7 pm), Eastern High School in Lansing on March 25 (6-8 p.m.), the Greyhound Intermediate School in Eaton Rapids on March 27 (7-8:30 p.m.), and Everett High School in Lansing on April 22 (6-8 p.m.). This universal resource locator offers a complete list of 2008 meeting locations: http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhall/.

"Underage drinking places many people at risk of danger including, families, communities and the general public," said Donald Allen, director of the Office of Drug Control Policy within the Michigan Department of Community Health. "We hope that these town hall meetings will bring thought provoking dialogue that will generate solutions for participants to share with their family and friends."

The agendas of each meeting vary to fit the nuances of the audience but essentially each meeting will discuss:

• The issue of underage drinking in the United States including national data and use statistics.
• The impact and affect alcohol has on the developing brain of an adolescent.
• Consequences that excessive and underage drinking have to the family and the community as a whole.
• The legal ramifications of underage use of alcohol.
• Possible solutions and parent interventions that lessen the use and abuse of alcohol by underage individuals.

Liquor Control Commission representatives will spend time talking about the complaint process when someone witnesses a potential violation and will be offering contact information to the main office in Lansing and to each regional office: Farmington, Escanaba, and Grand Rapids.  MLCC staff will also offer the Commission website address as a source of Commission specific information and links to related sites and awareness groups.

The Town Hall Alcohol Awareness talks are part of a national partnership effort by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to educate youth, parents, caregivers, and other adults about the harmful effects of underage drinking.  Local government officials, police officers, parents, prevention experts and community leaders will all be attending.

For more information about the Town Hall concept and to find out where your local meeting is being held, visit the Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (MCRUD) website at http://www.mcrud.org/ or call Executive Director, Ken Dail at 800-969-4968.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.