GUIDE, Inc. Receives Proclamation for Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month has been sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) since 1987 to encourage local communities to focus on the prevention and treatment of alcohol problems.

On April 14, 2015, Gwinnett United In Drug Education, Inc. (GUIDE, Inc.) received a proclamation from the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners designating April as Alcohol Awareness Month in Gwinnett. This is important because it increases awareness of issues related to underage drinking in our community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “alcohol use by persons under age 21 is a major public health problem.” Additionally, NCADD reports that, “Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous—both to themselves and to society, and is directly associated with traffic fatalities, violence, suicide, educational failure, alcohol overdose, unsafe sex and other problem behaviors.” We believe it is important to work together with members of our community to address this serious problem.

The great news is that most teens in Gwinnett County do not drink alcohol. In the latest Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services Youth Health Survey, 19% of high school students and 5% of middle school students drank alcohol in the last 30 days. This has been accomplished in part by the collaborative efforts of numerous agencies, corporations and systems, such as the Gwinnett Coalition, the Gwinnett County Public School System, the Gwinnett County Police, Gwinnett Medical Center and others. Additionally, we value the retailers who check IDs of those who buy alcohol and parents who do not provide alcohol at parties and celebrations such as prom and graduation.

While progress has been made in Gwinnett, we need to stay diligent and continue to minimize retail and social availability of alcohol to those under 21 years of age. We encourage parents, guardians and all other residents to prevent underage drinking by talking to youth about the harmful effects of alcohol and how they can resist pressure to use alcohol. Discouraging drinking and changing the social acceptance of underage drinking does go a long way in making our youth more successful, healthier and safer.

We would like to thank the Commissioners for their support as we continue to address and reduce underage drinking in the community.

GUIDE, Inc. is a substance abuse prevention agency serving Gwinnett County since 1986. To find out more about us, please connect with us at guideinc.org.