The Sobering Reality:
- Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among America’s youth, and is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
- Each day 7,000 youth in the United States under age 16 take their first drink (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
- Every year, 6,500 young people under age 21 die from alcohol-related accidents and thousands more are injured (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
- Research shows that youth who begin drinking before age 15 are 4 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence of abuse (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
- Each year, an estimated 97,000 teens and young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).
RAD has partnered with Vroman's Bookstore for a special in-store event to help raise awareness about teen alcohol culture and help prevent alcohol-related incidents among teens in the San Gabriel Valley.
The special in-store event will feature a discussion with experts on the current trends in teen alcohol use, book titles on AOD, and multimedia art created through RAD's Prevention Art Real Talk (PART) Project. Attendees will participate in a discussion with experts about the social pressures to drink that teens experience from social media, popular culture, and their peers. An expert panel including professionals in the alcohol and drug abuse prevention field, authors, medical experts, and youth speakers will address topics and questions such as What are the community and health risks of underage drinking? What factors motivate teens to use alcohol and other drugs? What can parents, families and communities do? The discussion will empower parents with insight into the everyday lives of their teens, and actions they can take to prevent potential substance abuse problems. Parents join us with their teens and be a part of the conversation to prevent alcohol and substance abuse among youth in our community!
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1630802220540122/