Thursday, April 06, 2000
Teen drinking to be examined
First meetings in series held tonight
BY WALT SCHAEFER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BLUE ASH — A $20,000 grant, one of 33 statewide, will bring experts together with northeastern Hamilton County community leaders and the public for a series of meetings to tackle alcohol and drug use by teens — a growing problem nationwide.
Dr. Loretta Novince, acting president of the Northeast Community Challenge Coalition (NECC), representing four northeastern Hamilton County communities, said the meetings “will take a hard look at this issue. We will hear testimony from law enforcement professionals, social services experts, those who determine public policy, educa tors and others.
“The objective is to develop a community-wide approach to tackle this problem,” said Dr. Novince, a professor of behavioral sciences and psychology at the University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University.
“One of the key issues we are presently working on ... is underage access to alcohol and other drugs. Our mission is to reduce the risk factors and develop preventive measures in the community,” she said.
Dr. Novince also is on the board of trustees for Ohio Parents for a Drug-Free Youth and Congressman Rob Portman's Coalition for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati.
NECC is composed of representatives from Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sycamore and Symmes townships. The grant is earmarked for developing policy panels on underage drinking nationally at grass roots level. Ohio awarded 33 federal grants this year to create policy panels on the issue statewide.
The first local hearings will be tonight at 7 and 9 p.m. at the University of Cincinnati's Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plainfield Rd. in Room 100 of the college's Science and Allied Health Building. The public is welcome. Similar sessions are scheduled for 7 and 9 p.m., April, 11.
Another meeting will be scheduled this month to review recommendations of the policy panel after reviewing the information gleaned from the hearings. A report to the community can be expected in May.
Groups represented
Bruce Henry, assistant Blue Ash city manager and safety director, said the hearings will bring together representatives of Hamilton County groups involved in counseling, training or programming that deal with underage drinking.”
The sessions will review existing legislation and the role of parents, educators and law enforcement in dealing with the issue.
“One of the aims will be reducing access to alcohol and drugs and making the general public aware of the extent of the problem and what can be done to help prevent access by children and teens,” Mr. Henry said.
Experts expected to address the panel tonight in clude: Julie Bernard, Hamilton County Education Center; Gail Dorsey, Reading Youth Services; Andie Rehkamp, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); Blue Ash Police Chief Mike Allen; Bob Briggs of Talbert House; Sue Koehler, Sycamore High School; Sgt. Dan Reid, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, and Blue Ash Police Officer Erskine Page.
There will be an opportunity for public participation and comment.
Panel members are: Montgomery Mayor Gary Bloomberg, Symmes Township Board of Trustees President Kathy Wagner, Sister Patricia Holman of Ursuline Academy, Montgomery Police Chief Don McGlothlin, Reading Safety-Service Director Mike Rahall, Dean Barbara Bardes of Raymond Walters College, Pat Tate of NECC, Steve Hill of Sycamore High School, Joe Brown of the Blue Ash Busi ness Association, T.J. White of NECC's Youth Coalition and parent Julie Harland.
NECC was founded in 1983. Its mission is to help develop healthy lifestyles for the representative communities comprising much of the county's northeast.
Social problems linked
“Underage drinking contributes to many social problems including crime, violence and teen pregnancy,” Mr. Henry said. “Young people who abuse alcohol often never develop appropriate decision-making skills for coping with the perplexities and disappointments of life. Alcohol has been demonstrated to be the beginning of hard drug use for many young people.
“This panel will bring forth recommendations to assist our four communities in a concerted effort to prevent the growing problem,” he said.
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