Student leaders from the Santiago de Compostela Church Youth Ministry’s Friday Night Live chapter are getting ready to host a special town hall meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6 to discuss the dangers of underage drinking, as well as potential preventative measures.
Working in collaboration with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the state Office of Traffic Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the FNL members have taken the lead on planning and preparing for the meeting, which will feature prevention professionals and youth panelists speaking to an audience of parents and students.
The event is set to take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church, located at 21682 Lake Forest Drive in Lake Forest.
Friday Night Live is a high school youth development program that’s part of OCDE’s Orange County Friday Night Live Partnership. Students who participate focus on alcohol and drug prevention with the goal of promoting lasting change in their schools and communities.
Underage drinking remains a pressing public health concern that continues to take a toll on young people, as well as their families and communities. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol annually is responsible for the deaths of more than 4,300 underage youth.
Saturday’s town hall meeting aligns with a national SAMHSA-supported initiative called “Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking.” For more information, visit www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeet or contact OCDE Program Specialist Elke Petras at epetras@ocde.us.