Coalition Launches Video Series To Encourage Youth To Be Alcohol Free

Press release from the City of Alexandria:

May 4, 2021 at 3:03 PM

Coalition Launches Video Series to Encourage Youth to
Be Alcohol Free

For Immediate Release: May 4, 2021

The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA)
has launched a prevention campaign featuring a series of short videos created
by T.C. Williams High School students that encourage youth to be alcohol
free.

The videos, which feature Alexandria youth
sharing reasons why they do not drink alcohol, reinforces and raises awareness
of the social norm that the majority of youth in Alexandria do not drink
alcohol. Teen alcohol use in Alexandria decreased 52% between 2011 and 2019.
According to the 2019 Developmental Assets Profile, only 8% of 8th graders, 13% of 10th graders and
29% of 12th graders drank alcohol in the past 30 days.

SAPCA released the first two videos on their
YouTube Channel this week.
Additional videos will be released over the next few weeks. The videos will
also be shared on SAPCA’s Facebook
and Twitter
platforms.

The campaign, which was funded through an
alcohol education and prevention grant from Virginia ABC, is the second video
series launched by the coalition. Earlier this year, SAPCA released a series of videos
featuring high school youth sharing the reasons they do not vape. Both
campaigns invite social media users to share the videos, along with their own
reasons why they do not use these substances.

SAPCA also provides tools and resources for residents to engage youth and initiate
conversations regarding the dangers of alcohol and other substances, healthy
decision making, avoiding risky behaviors, responding to peer pressure and
more.

The coalition reminds residents that adult
drinking behavior has been shown to influence youth and encourages residents to
model healthy coping mechanisms as an additional way to prevent youth substance
use and abuse.

Healthy coping practices can be as simple
as creating space to exercise, video chatting with friends and family, or spending
five to ten minutes using a meditation app. Residents can access a wide range
of resources for coping with stress in the COVID-19 Wellness Resource Guide and easy-to-share handouts with tips for coping
with fear and stress resulting from the COVID19 crisis for adults and youth.

Visit alexandriava.gov/SAPCA to learn more about the coalition, access
information on engaging youth in conversations about the health risks and legal
consequences of substance use, and resources for treatment and recovery.

For more information, contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3670.

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This press release was produced by the City of Alexandria.The views expressed here are the author’s own.