SADD to provide alcohol-free post-prom entertainment

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Just in time for spring prom, Sullivan West Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) has arranged for a week of activities that highlight awareness of teen drinking problems, culminating in an evening of alcohol-free after-prom activities.

As part of its Alcohol Awareness week, on April 21 SADD members were stationed underneath a student-designed banner outside the cafeteria at the high school with a table full of literature documenting the dangers of alcohol, its toxic mix with driving, its harmful effects on pregnancy, its role in triggering other at-risk behaviors and tips on how to handle problems with drinking should they arise. Statistics show that alcohol kills more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined, that more than 10,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 die from alcohol-related car crashes every year, and that 4.4 million teens under the age of 21 are classified as binge drinkers.

On April 24 at 7:00 p.m., the group will host “An Evening of Awareness” in the high school auditorium to focus on how the entire school community can help prevent the dangers of teenage drinking. Members of the community are invited to attend the event, which will feature speakers including Suanne Barry, a BOCES alcohol prevention specialist, Greg Brewer, a school resource officer and assistant district attorney Jim Farrell.

Speakers will hold individual workshops where parents, students and community members can address their concerns about this important issue. One topic for discussion will be how to make your house a “fun house without alcohol.”

SADD will end the week with an After-Prom party early on the morning of Saturday, April 26. From`1:00 to 3:00 a.m., the Callicoon Theatre will show “21” as a special feature. The movie is rated PG-13 and details the destructive consequences of an MIT college student who becomes involved with compulsive gambling.

Following the movie, the group will walk to the Delaware Youth Center, where food, games and dancing will provide a safe alternative to post-prom parties that often involve drinking and may lead to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

At 5:00 a.m., breakfast will be served and the kids will leave at 6:00 am.