FCD Focuses on Farmington

1/5/2009

GROUP SPONSORS FORUM TO TACKLE TEEN DRINKING

By Lisa Backus, Journal Register News Service

Farmington, CT - The number of area teens drinking alcohol is increasingly high compared with peers nationally, and the age at which they begin is alarmingly low. But would lowering the drinking age prevent alcohol-related deaths the area has seen in the past few years or the abuse that plagues it?

Farmington Focus, a local group dedicated to reducing teen substance abuse, will sponsor a forum on lowering the legal drinking age as part of its effort to educate teens and the community.

The idea for "Is 21 the Answer? A Discussion about Lowering the Drinking Age" set to take place Jan. 28, was sparked by the Amethyst Initiative, formed by 130 college presidents to consider binge drinking on campus, Focus organizers said.

"In the spirit of the initiative, our goal is to present a constructive and informed discussion of the current law and whether lowering the drinking age would help reduce high-risk drinking by college students," Ginny Mulpeter said.

The forum, sponsored by Farmington Focus with a grant from Farmington Savings Bank, will take place during Prevention Works Week, a four-day program for Farmington High School students and faculty with workshops led by the Boston-based Freedom from Chemical Dependency.

Panelists moderated by PGA professional and Focus honorary chairwoman Suzy Whatley will include J. Lee Peters, University of Hartford vice president of student affairs and dean of students; Cheryl Barnard, Ph.D., vice president of student affairs and dean of students, Saint Joseph College and Mike Buckley, Ph.D., associate executive director and director of the Connecticut Principals' Center, Connecticut Association of Schools.

Mulpeter said the discussion will include current research on at what age kids begin to drink and the impact it has on alcohol-related problems, including dependency. Suggestions on how to prepare young people to make healthy choices will be discussed. It is a subject local families know all too well. Focus was organized after the 2004 death of a Devonwood teen and others. The nonprofit group is now an arm of the town's Community Services Department and serves as the Local Prevention Council working with the Capital Area Substance Abuse Council.

For the past three years, FOCUS has sponsored in-school programs with FCD for students and faculty bringing former substance abusers to the schools to discuss drinking, drugs and peer pressure.

A 2007 study of Farmington students in grades 8 through 12 done by FCD indicated that while local students in Grade 8 drank less than their peers nationally, by Grade 12, Farmington students admitted to drinking more than their peers nationally.

It was a troubling statistic that educators sought to address with stepped-up programming in the health and wellness curriculum starting in Grade 5 and with programs through the Boston-based group. School officials have said they plan to conduct another study to gauge the impact of the increased programming.

The statistics aren't just numbers in Farmington.

More than four years ago a Devonwood teenager was killed in a car accident in which a drunken high school junior was behind the wheel. Recently, the driver was released from prison after serving three years for manslaughter.

During the 2006-07 school year, dozens of University of Hartford students who were caught drinking underage in area bars agreed to take part in a Hartford Community Court protocol.

One sophomore admitted in court while reading her required essay that it was her second offense and she had on previous occasions blacked out from alcohol use. Dozens of other local teens have faced similar violations and sanctions.

Farmington Savings Bank recently donated a three-year grant to Focus to continue FCD's presence in the schools. An evening forum for parents has been held each year as part of FCD's programming.

This year's forum on the drinking age is scheduled for Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at Farmington High School. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Lisa Backus can be reached at lbackus@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 223.