Schools

Substance Abuse Will be Topic of West Hartford Town Hall Meeting

'Choices and Consequences' will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8 .

Teen substance abuse will be the topic of discussion at the second Annual West Hartford Town Hall Meeting for middle and high school students and their parents, which will be held on Monday, April 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Auditorium.

The free program, "What's the Buzz? Choices and Consequences," is designed to raise awareness, educate and empower the community to prevent underage drinking and prescription drug abuse and misuse in West Hartford.

The most recent survey of West Hartford students, completed in 2011, indicated the following statistics, which organizers called "alarming":

  • 30 percent of West Hartford high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past month.
  • 17 percent of all students reported having been drunk in the past month.
  • 56 percent of students who reported drinking in the past month also reported having been drunk at least once in the past month.
  • 19.6 percent of West Hartford high school students reported having mixed drinking and prescription/over the counter drugs.
  • 21.3 percent of West Hartford high school students reported having taken pills without knowing what they were.

Last year, about 150 attended the inaugural Town Hall meeting, which focused primarily on binge drinking.

This year’s event will include a mini expo, food, entertainment, videos, and a panel discussion.

From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., there will be a mini-expo of community organizations and resources. Entertainment will be provided by Conard’s Be S#arp and Hall’s A Cafella, food will be available, and there will be a raffle with prizes for teens.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., attendees will view the premiere of two research-informed videos focused on peer pressure, "Epic Bail, and "Not a Prescription for Dating," which were written and acted by West Hartford teens. A panel discussion will follow the videos.

Rick Green, political editor and columnist at The Hartford Courant will moderate the discussion, and panelists will include Director of the Connecticut Drug Control Division of the Department of Consumer Protection John Gadea; Clinical Chief of Emergency Service at UConn Dr. Robert Fuller, West Hartford Police Department Community Relations Officer Courtney Grant; and Geoff Genser, a local therapist. Conard students George Angeles and Libby Nunez, and Hall student Celia Binder, will also participate in the discussion.

Teen entertainment will follow from 8 to 8:30 p.m.

The Town Hall meeting is being sponsored by the West Hartford Substance Abuse Prevention Commission and the Capital Area Substance Abuse Council, with support from the Institute for Community Research

More info on the event and the West Hartford Substance Abuse Prevention Commission is available here.


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