Coalition for a Safe & Drug-Free
Newaygo County
4 West Oak Street Ph: (231) 924-1662
Fremont, MI 49412 Fax: (231) 924-5663
www.drugfreenewaygocounty.org
April 1, 2008
Dear Newaygo County Residents:
To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April is designated as Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol Awareness Month is an annual observance that encourages local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues.
The Acting Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu reports, “Alcohol is the drug of choice among American adolescents, used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs. Although there has been a significant decline in tobacco and illicit drug use among teens, underage drinking has remained at consistently high levels.” Based on a 2005 Pride Survey of 2,492 students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 throughout Newaygo County, students reported levels of drug and alcohol usage which mirror, and in many cases, exceed the youth drug and alcohol rates at the national level.
Newaygo County has implemented a number of strategies to increase parent and youth awareness and knowledge about underage drinking. We invite you to visit the Surgeon General’s website at www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking, which provides additional underage drinking information for communities, educators and families. Click on this link for additional facts about underage drinking and Michigan law.
On behalf of the Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Newaygo County, we encourage people to make a commitment to raising awareness of the serious impact of underage drinking and ask that all take a moment sometime during the month of April to discuss this important topic with our youth.
Sincerely,
Matt Hendrie
Matt Hendrie, Officer
Fremont Police Department
Coalition Chairman