WILTON — Strategies, barriers and resources for tackling the problem of underage drinking are the topics of a community meeting planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, at Academy Hill School.

Along with seeking ideas from parents, teachers, officials and community members, the meeting, titled “Understanding and Addressing the Rising Problem of Underage Drinking

Following a short, interactive presentation by Lee Anne Dodge, assistant director of Student Life and coordinator of Substance Abuse Prevention and Wellness at the University of Southern Maine, participants will break into smaller groups to explore underage drinking strategies. Those include what community resources are available, the barriers to overcome and sharing of community ideas that the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition can tailor to work in Wilton and surrounding communities, she said.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. With some funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, coalitions across the country are offering similar community meetings to deal with the subject of underage drinking, she said.

“When kids start drinking before age 15, they are five times more likely to have alcohol problems when they’re adults,” according to the meeting flier.

There are a lot of things that can be done that help look out for kids but don’t involve money, Ditata said. One of those is education for the community.

“In the Western Public Health District, which consists of Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties, 33.4 percent of high school students had a least one drink of alcohol on one or more of the past 30 days and 20.4 percent of high school students consumed five or more drinks of alcohol in a row on one or more of the 30 days,” according to a release on the meeting.

A group of 40 community members meet regularly as the Greater Franklin County’s Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition to work on reducing underage drinking and reducing prescription drug misuse and abuse, she said.

Most local police departments are represented by officers who come to the meetings, she said.

Ditata is working with the Farmington and University of Maine at Farmington police departments to start compliance checks at local stores and restaurants on responsible beverage serving, she said. Her role is to provide education to local retailers.

Another educational opportunity is a community program. “Parents who host lose the most,” she said. It’s goal is to help parents realize the potential issues they can face including fines of $1,500 for allowing underage drinking.

While looking for a community group to help promote the April 4 event, the Wilton Lions Club was contacted and became supportive, she said of the reason the meeting is being held in Wilton. They hope to move to another community next year.

The meeting is open to everyone from middle school students and up, and it is not confined to only Wilton residents, she said.

The program is sponsored by the Healthy Community Coalition and its Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Federal Government’s Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking.

For more information, call 779-2932 or toll free 1-800-525-3136.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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