Adolescent Binge Drinking, Marijuana Use Subjects of Wilton Youth Council Forum

The Wilton Youth Council will host an educational event on Feb. 23 entitled, “Not My Kid: What’s Really Happening with Marijuana, Binge Drinking, and E-Cigarettes in Wilton,” organizers announced.

Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Wilton Library, the forum will feature the results of recent youth and parent surveys that show “high rates of binge drinking, e-cigarette use and marijuana use among upper-classmen.”

Speakers will include Wendy Bentivegna, Grant Director for Positive Directions; Kristin Dineen, LCSW, Wilton Public Schools Outreach Counselor; and John Douglas, MD, MBA, Clinical Director of the Outpatient Addiction Program at Silver Hill Hospital.

“As parents, we need to understand the risks,” said Vanessa Elias, Chair of Wilton Youth Council, in a statement. “I recently learned that e-cigarettes are not the safe alternative I thought they were. In fact they are unregulated and have been found to contain toxic ingredients, along with nicotine. And the marijuana kids are smoking now is many times more potent than the pot of our youth.”

She added, “We need to discuss substance use with our children. We all have the opportunity to influence kids to make healthy choices not just in middle and high school, but in college, too. The survey shows us that parental disapproval of the consumption of alcohol is a huge deterrent for most students.”

Those who plan to attend are asked to register in advance at www.wiltonlibrary.org/events, or call 203-762-6334.