The Barrington Community Drug
Prevention Coalition (CDPC) is a grassroots group of governments, social
services, health agencies, schools, police, parents and students with a mission
“to reverse the trend of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse in our community
through education, prevention and intervention strategies and encouraging
healthy alternatives.” The following
article was written by Adrienne Darrow and Temi Ogunbodede, 2007 Barrington High School graduates who served as members of the CDPC Youth Advisory Committee.
A
Message from the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC): The CDPC Story
Spring
2007
Underage drinking is a common
problem that faces communities around the United States. There are a number
of factors that play a role in a teen’s decision to start drinking early. They
face pressure from their peers and the media, ambivalent parents, and law
enforcement that is sometimes viewed as apathetic. With so many different
causes involved in underage drinking, communities need to attack the problem
from more than one direction. It takes effort to reach teens, parents, law
enforcement, and other concerned constituents and find solutions to the
problem. It is possible to effectively curb underage drinking if community
members plan effective initiatives and take action by following through on their
plans.
As teenagers in the Barrington community, we
are all too familiar with the dangerous behavior of our peers. Rather than
follow their example, we have chosen to not partake in underage drinking and
actually get involved in efforts to curb such hazardous actions. The municipalities
and townships in the Barrington area (including
the villages of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington, Tower Lakes
and Barrington and Cuba Townships)
have taken crucial steps in fighting the problem of underage drinking,
involving law enforcement, public officials, concerned adults, and teens like
us. Through the formation of the Barrington Area Community Drug Prevention
Coalition (CDPC), the municipalities along with local organizations such as the
United Way, Barrington Youth and Family Services, are
identifying goals and developing the needed initiatives to curb underage
drinking.
The CDPC meets monthly to discuss
drug prevention in the community. The communication between school officials,
health professionals, the police department, and government has helped to
define specific strategies and needs of everyone in Barrington. The Youth Advisory Committee of
the CDPC meets monthly to plan our own projects to curb underage drinking. We
work with Barrington
High School’s
drug/alcohol prevention group – Reality - to define community needs. We have
spoken at a town hall meeting, handed out fliers at local sporting events, and
are currently working to prevent adults from providing minors with alcohol with
the help of local liquor vendors. Our activities to raise awareness and combat
the misconceptions about underage drinking help the CDPC to reach their goals
on curtailing underage drinking.
While underage drinking is a
complex issue facing many communities, there are tactics and solutions for
reversing the trend. It is up to individual communities to take responsibility
and meet the challenges of curbing underage drinking. The dedication and energy
of even a few diligent community members can build a responsive community.
Taking a decisive stance on the issue compels others to reflect on their own
actions. Communities can reach their goals more efficiently and quickly by
working off the united commitment of all people- teens, parents, law
enforcement, and community officials alike- to curtail the dangers of underage
drinking.
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