COURT HOUSE ─ “How did we get here…in this place?” That snippet of dialogue from a documentary entitled “This Place” encapsulated a nation and countywide question: Why are so many young people abusing alcohol and other substances?
On April 21, concerned citizens, members of the educational community, and those from many walks of life gathered at The Lighthouse Church to discuss the predicament.
Members of Cape Assist and CARE led the town hall meeting, giving presentations and also hope.
Natalia Wilber, community coordinator with the Healthy Community Coalition, said the purpose of the meeting was not “doom and gloom” but to bring awareness.
Joe Faldetta, head of prevention at Cape Assist, gave “40 Developmental Assets” as steps for “positive change” that anyone can take.
Wilber presented a few “quick facts” about underage drinking and introduced the brief documentary. According to Wilber, alcohol remains the “drug of choice” in the United States: “more than 50 percent get alcohol from family and friends,” said Wilber.
She stated that the average “first drink age” is now 11 years old. Waiting until a child reaches teen years is not early enough for “conversations” on alcohol and other substances, according to Wilber.
Sixty seven percent of adolescents are “less likely to drink” after “consistent” and meaningful conversations, according to Wilber, risk does “reduce tremendously.”
“This Place,” the documentary featuring underage drinking, stated, according to statistics, 1,700 college-age individuals die from alcohol-related accidents; another sobering fact was that in the United States alone, more deaths occur from alcohol than drug overdoses. “How did we land here…in this place?”
Abuse of substances leads to addiction and, for many, a reduction in IQ by 10 to 12 points, said Wilber.
However, the documentary also revealed how “grassroots” movements across the United States are springing up. “There is a new story,” the narrator said. In places such as Tacoma, Wash., and Lincoln, Neb., citizens and local leaders are saying “enough.”
As “positive changes” continue to unfold, cultural concerns are also being addressed. The availability of alcoholic beverages in sports arenas, convenience stores, and the impact of social media and advertising have created a “user-friendly environment,” according to the documentary.
“For our children and grandchildren, it is simply here,” said the narrator.
While older generations wonder at the great cultural shift in the United States, the younger generation grows up in these conditions. By changing “conditions that facilitate,” concerned citizens and organizations are hopeful.
After the documentary, Faldetta talked through “40 Development Assets” (prepared by the Search Institute) that serve as “building blocks of healthy development that help young people group up healthy, caring, and responsible.”
Faldetta admitted that no single person or organization can “save them all,” but that a difference can be made in lives one at a time.
“It’s not just about alcohol, heroin, and drugs,” said Faldetta. “It’s about building healthier kids.”
By seeking to teach coping and life skills, Cape Assist offers several family programs and the Healthy Community Coalition brings people together to help support local youth. “We can each do a piece,” Faldetta said. Quoting Mother Theresa, “We can do small things with great love.”
Citizens can begin at home with supporting their own children and seeking “positive family communication.” As later discussed during the question-and-answer time, Faldetta said that parents are often looking for help as well.
By creating “caring neighborhoods” and “caring school climates,” adolescents can go to other adults for advice in their own neighborhoods. Viewing young people as assets in a community also adds stability, according to Faldetta, as well as seeing them “as a positive force for change.”
Faith communities can provide activities after school in youth programs and even volunteer work. Establishing clear boundaries at home, school, and in the community will help young people understand boundaries and consequences for their actions.
“Social competence” also equips young people in “planning and decision making” as well as building friendship skills and understanding those of different cultures.
Faldetta remarked on how it is easy to interact only with one’s own social group through technology. “We can do what we can do,” Faldetta said.
Faldetta quoted Lynne Krukosky, director of Cape Assist: “it’s multiple strategies across multiple sectors.”
According to Faldetta, citizens of Cape May County can make a difference in their neighborhoods. By understanding risks of alcohol abuse and scientific evidence, people can stand up for change.
Faldetta concluded by saying he has seen young people’s “passing and energy put in the direction” to “help achieve potential” and change in the world.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
