Communities tackle underage drinking

WINSTED — The Laurel City is one of several communities that have banded together to combat underage drinking with a new public information campaign.T-shirt giveaways, billboard advertising, school programs and law enforcement activities are components of the effort, designed to eliminate underage drinking in Winsted, Torrington, Harwinton and Burlington.“We know that teens are influenced by their friends. For this reason, we chose the ‘street team’ approach,” Program Supervisor Kevin Pettit of the McCall Foundation said in a press release this week. Winchester Police Chief Robert Scannell is a member of the coalition. Other key coalition members include Harwinton First Selectman Frank Chiarmonte and Burlington First Selectman Kathy Bergstrom.“We pick positive peer role models to influence their friends to make good choices. Teens on the street teams will be helping us promote our message, which is that underage drinking isn’t cool or safe and that many other kids are saying no to alcohol,” Pettit said.Community leaders from the area towns are meeting monthly to address the problem of underage drinking. Groups involved include Winsted, Torrington and state police, school administrators, parents, students and community members.“We want to change the culture of underage drinking and in order to do that we need to change community norms,” Pettit said. “Our positive peer pressure campaign is based on extensive research pertaining to how teen behavior works.”Pettit said there will also be tool kits for parents, students and educators through the group’s Courage to Speak parent education course. The McCall Foundation, the Northwest Connecticut Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking and the Harwinton-Burlington Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking are all participating in the program.“Our community needs to address this issue,” Pettit said. “There are many alcohol-related tragedies in our community and one is too many. The coalition members are dedicated to their roles in our community will help us to reach many networks, thereby creating sustainable change” said Pettit.For more information, call Pettit at 860-496-2139.

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