On Tuesday, Snohomish County will join a national effort to spotlight underage drinking with a town meeting at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek.
The meeting, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., is one of two in Snohomish County and 63 across the state.
It’s part of an effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to encourage communities to take action.
“There’s a significant number of middle school and high school kids drinking alcohol,” said Julie Bartlett, who works as a drug and alcohol prevention counselor for Snohomish County’s human services department.
Among Washington’s eighth-graders, 18 percent reported that they had used alcohol recently, and 19 percent of 10th-graders reported recently drinking five or more drinks in a row, according to a 2005 state Department of Health survey.
The town hall meeting will emphasize “that this is a serious issue in our community and we need to be aware of the consequences of what underage drinking is doing to kids,” said Carrie Weldon of the Snohomish County Health and Safety Network.
The meeting is sponsored by Jackson High School’s family substance abuse committee, the county human services department and the Health and Safety Network.
Teenagers who drink are involved in a disproportionately high number of traffic accidents, said Dick Doane, a research investigator for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
“You’re talking about people learning to drink and learning to drive at the same time,” Doane said. “Teen drivers tend to make bad judgements and errors because they haven’t driven enough.”
They may not realize that the sign that says 45 mph on the curve really means that, and not 60, he said.
Underage drinking drivers are involved in about 12 percent of the state’s alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
“The issue is, we don’t want young people to die,” Doane said.
A second meeting is planned for Granite Falls, but no date has been set.
Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
Town hall meeting
A town hall meeting on underage drinking will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the commons at Henry M. Jackson High School, 1508 136th St. SE in Mill Creek. Call 425-252-2668 for information.
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