For immediate release March 27, 2006

Contact: Jacquie Lucy 410-780-6742

CCBC SCHOOL OF JUSTICE HOSTS TOWN HALL MEETING
ON UNDERAGE DRINKING MARCH 28
Dundalk campus one of 16 Maryland locations for this national event

Did you know?

• First use of alcohol usually begins around the age of 13!
• Junior and senior high school students drink 35% of all wine coolers sold in the US and they also consume 1.1 billion cans of beer.
• Approximately two thirds of teenagers who drink buy their own alcohol.
• Use of alcohol is associated with the leading causes of death and injury among teenagers and young adults.
• Alcohol use at an early age is an indicator of future drug and alcohol problems.

Baltimore County, Md. – The School of Justice at The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) will host a Town Hall meeting on underage drinking prevention at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 in the K-Building Theatre on the Dundalk campus, 7200 Sollers Point Road. CCBC is one of 16 locations in Maryland to host this nationwide community event.

“Children as young as eight years old are starting to drink alcohol in significant numbers to require intervention and prevention. This Town Meeting offers an opportunity for the community to share their experiences and concerns on underage drinking in the neighborhoods,” notes Tanya Jones, director of the Professional Development Center for Excellence at the School of Justice. “We are fortunate to have expert panelists including R. L. Wright, author of “Street Smart,” retired Baltimore City Police Officer and owner and operator of a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center in the Dundalk, and Officer Terry Mills, Baltimore County Police Department’s Crash Team, to lead this discussion, but the focus is on interaction with the community to address this problem.”

Underage drinking has been on the rise across the country affecting children as young as eight years of age. According to the Start Talking before They Start Drinking website, underage drinking puts children under age 15 at an increased risk for a variety of health and safety risks including:

• Injury – Both of being injured while under the influence or of starting a fight after drinking.
• Sexual activity – Alcohol abuse by teens is a strong predictor of both sexual activity and unprotected sex.
• Academic problems and truancy – have been associated with underage drinking
• Illicit drug use – More than 67 percent of those who start drinking before age 15 will try an illicit drug.
• Drunk driving – Traffic accidents are the number one killer of teens and over one third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related.

This Town Hall Meeting is free and open to the public. For additional information, call Tanya Jones at 443-840-3740.