Shrewsbury to host underage drinking forum By Melissa Muntz, Contributing Writer 04/7/2006

Shrewsbury – Underage drinking is an epidemic facing the entire country and Shrewsbury is no exception, according to State Rep. Karyn E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury. As a member of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Polito said she's helping to sponsor the "Start Talking Before They Start Drinking … and Driving" forum open to parents and students from eighth through 12th grade at Shrewsbury High School Monday, April 10.
   "The most important thing we can do is get parents and children talking about this before the kids start drinking, and really open the lines of communication early on," Polito said.
   Hundreds of communities across the country are hosting the program, which includes a video presentation about binge drinking and the dangerous and sometimes deadly effects of underage drinking and a question-and-answer session with a panel of community leaders. There will also be a discussion about the Social Host Law led by Shrewsbury Police Chief Wayne Sampson.
   "It's not just cases of parents who look the other way or provide the alcohol," Sampson said. "When there is no parental supervision, even if parents are not aware there's a party, they can be held responsible."
   Sampson said the Police Department responds to calls involving underage drinking on a weekly basis, ranging from a single individual walking down the street with a beer can to house parties with 50 to 100 unsupervised minors. Very often, he said, out-of-control parties involving minors and alcohol lead to other crimes.
   "These parties frequently result in property damage, kids operating vehicles under the influence, and sexual assaults," he said.
   According to Sampson, the forum offers parents an opportunity to address a difficult situation with their children, one that he, the father of two teenagers, said may make them unpopular with their children.
   Polito said she has realistic goals for the forum.
   "You're not going to eradicate the problem in one night," she said. "It's going to take a tremendous amount of partnering between the government and parents and kids."
   She said if the forum empowers one kid to make to make better decisions and gives one parent the tools to set ground rules in their home and speak openly with their child, it was a success. Sampson said he is calling on parents to be proactive in the fight against underage drinking. He encouraged parents to ask their child questions about where they're going and with whom, as well as talk to parents of their child's friends to make sure they are on the same page in terms of appropriate behavior and values.
   "We haven't experienced a tragedy yet, but every week there's an opportunity," he said.
   Polito invites anyone interested in learning more to attend the April 10 program, which will be held at the Shrewsbury High School Auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Because the video presentation is graphic in nature, eight-grade students must be accompanied by a parent.
   Along with Polito, the event is cosponsored by Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, the ELNA Club, and Anheuser-Busch and Consolidated Beverages.