RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and the DART Coalition To Host Community Awareness Night for Underage Drinking

RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention (IFP) and the DART Prevention Coalition are hosting a Community Awareness Night on the dangers and legal consequences of underage drinking on Thursday, October 6 from 6 to 8 pm at New Egypt High School.

Participants will learn about the Parents Who Host Lose the Most Campaign and New Egypt’s Private Property Ordinance, which prohibits the possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages by underage persons on private property. The Plumsted Police Department and Rory Wells, from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, will present the latest statistics and discuss the drug epidemic in Ocean County.

Jenna Reidy, who has been in recovery from substance abuse disorder for eight years, will share her story and offer a message of recovery. She is a Recovery Specialist for the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program in Monmouth and Ocean counties and is committed to helping others find treatment and regain their lives.

By age 17, nearly half of teens have been to parties where they are drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or using cocaine, ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present, according to a survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. In New Jersey, parents who allow individuals under the age of 21 to drink alcohol, besides their own child, can be prosecuted. They may face up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, loss of property and civil liability.

At least six young people under the age of 21 die each day as a result of non-driving alcohol-related causes, such as homicide, suicide and drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “Parents often believe that they are keeping their children safe by allowing them to experiment with illegal substances under their supervision,” said Jennifer M. Marziale, Director of Research & Evaluation at IFP. “However, they are putting them in great danger and are putting themselves at risk to lose the most.”

The Community Awareness Event will be held at New Egypt High School located at 117 Ever Green Road in New Egypt. Both parents and students are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is requested by calling 732-886-4757.

About RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention

RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention promotes a healthy lifestyle and focuses on reducing factors that put families, individuals of all ages and communities at risk for alcohol and drug addiction. In 2016, the Institute for Prevention launched the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP) in Ocean and Monmouth Counties to connect narcan-reversed individuals with appropriate staff with the goal of getting them into recovery.

The mission of the DART Prevention Coalition is to engage Ocean County residents in the process of reducing substance abuse among youth in the County and over time the community as a whole. The Coalition, which develops environmental strategies to achieve its goal, is comprised of more than 80 Ocean County community leaders including law enforcement and government officials, educators, business owners, substance abuse professionals, clergy, students and other youth.