YAH joins forces with parents to stop underage drinking

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Talk about it

Most graduation parties have the same main ingredients. Relatives, friends, cake, gifts, cards, good food and, on occasion, a rented moon bounce.

However, Amy Nowicki, a member of the Youth Action Hudson group, said alcohol is becoming more and more a part of grad parties and other summer events.

“We want to make people aware,” Nowicki said. “Don’t host kids at your house even though you think it will be safer for them to drink there rather than somewhere else. It is still illegal.”

Youth Action Hudson is teaming up with parents and local law enforcement to help people remember “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t Be a Party to Teenage Drinking”.

The goal of this campaign is to provide parents with precise information on the risk of underage drinking to teenagers’ health and the legal consequences of providing them with alcohol.

“To help get the word out we have put stickers on pizza boxes from local pizza restaurants,” Nowicki said. “We also have placed a large banner on the fence by the high school and given posters to local bars and liquor stores to help get the word out.”

When graduation season starts to kick into full gear the group will be asking parents and other members of the community to place signs in their yards showing their support for the campaign.

Along with these visual tools, Youth Action Hudson has guidelines for parents and grandparents to follow if they will be hosting parties this summer for anyone under the drinking age.