Do you think underage alcohol use is a problem in the Clarkston area? Do your teenagers drink? Clarkston Coalition wants to know.
The Clarkston Coalition for Youth is working with the Alliance Coalitions for Healthy Communities, which includes 13 other coalitions in Oakland County to conduct an anonymous survey with parents of middle thru high school students regarding underage drinking.
Kelly Hyer, who sits on the Clarkston Coalition for Youth board as a Parks and Recreations professional said, they felt this was important and started going to different schools passing out invitations for parents to take the survey.
Hyer said the survey is a good way to understand parents? perspective on the issue.
‘Me, personally, I am not a parent, so it’s hard for me to put myself in their shoes. So this will hear right from parents, what they’re experiencing, concerns that are happening in their household,? she said.
Hyer said it’s a way to ‘get on level with today’s parents and kids? and focus on issues that maybe more prevalent in Clarkston as opposed to other Oakland County communities, such as South Lyons or West Bloomfield.
‘That way, maybe our community organization Coalition for Youth can maybe focus or reach out to other businesses or community supporters to see if we can’t rally together to assist and support parents.?
The ACHC is a grant funded organization focusing on reducing substance abuse including alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
Clarkston Coalition for Youth is a non-profit, grassroots organization funded through Oakland County Health Division. It offers parenting advice, organizes activities for parents and youth, and collects information and ideas on how to reduce outh drug abuse.
Donnis Reese, executive director of the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities.In 2005, 53.8 percent of 12th-grade students in a survey reported they had drank alcohol in the past month, .
ACHC information campaigns include ‘Parents Who Host Lose the Most? and ‘Project Sticker Shock.? Both build awareness that providing alcohol to minors is illegal. It also distributed ‘A Family Guide For Teen Parties,? which outlines how parents can be effective role models and set limits for youth.
It also distributed ‘A Family Guide For Teen Parties,? which outlines how parents can be effective role models and set limits for youth.
The survey takes about three minutes to complete and all surveyors will have an opportunity to enter their name in a drawing for a variety of prizes.
To take the survey or learn more about ACHC, visit www.achonline.org and at the top of the page will be a link that says ‘click here to take the parent survey and enter raffle.?