Community Members Invited to Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking Prior to High-Risk Weeks for Teens

March 24, 2016

Columbia, SC – Talk of prom dresses, boutonnieres and graduation gowns is not uncommon during this exciting time of year. Teens are preparing for prom and graduation season and all too often celebration involves alcohol consumption. The Rise Above It Lexington Two Community Coalition and the Richland School District Two’s The Project CARE Coalition are familiar with the consequences of underage drinking and are bringing the community together to raise awareness and discuss prevention efforts to help keep teens safe.  Students, parents, and community members are invited to the event, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 14th at the Brookland Cayce High School Auditorium located at 1300 State Street, Cayce, SC 29033.  There will be a panel discussion at the event so ask your questions about underage drinking using #RiseAboveAlcohol on Twitter or email them to riseaboveit@lradac.org.

Rise Above It and Project CARE are funded by a grant from the Drug-Free Communities Support Program in Washington, D.C. Rise Above it strives to make the community safe and drug-free for its youth and their families by enlisting the help of a variety of community sectors. This Town Hall event is one of several initiatives targeting underage drinking and serves as a kick-off event for the “Out of Their Hands” campaign that will be underway April through June. The campaign emphasizes to parents, caregivers, merchants and community members that providing alcohol to minors is against the law. During April, volunteers place stickers and bottle hangers on alcoholic beverages in partnership with Bi-Lo, Food Lion and Kroger supermarkets warning consumers not to purchase alcohol for minors. Please contact Kaytee Watson to register for the event by emailing mawatson@lradac.org or calling 803.726.9366. This is a free event.

For more information visit www.riseaboveitlexington.org

LRADAC is the designated alcohol abuse and drug abuse authority for Lexington and Richland Counties of South Carolina. The public, not-for-profit agency offers a wide array of prevention, intervention and treatment programs in locations convenient to residents of both counties. The agency has a budget of approximately $10 million and serves more than 5,000 clients per year.