Success Story: PACT Prevention Coalition of St. Johns County
We held our Town Hall meeting on April 7th and utilized a panel format with audience questions. The meeting was attended by over 130 community members. This article ran in our local newspaper the day after the event:
"Teen drinking serious problem, panel warns"
By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 04/08/08
Teen Drinking Serious Problem, Panel Warns
Underage drinking is a reality in St. Johns County and one that needs to be addressed by the community and parents, agreed a panel of community leaders, experts and one teenager Monday evening. "Parents need to step up. Your job is not to be their buddy," Circuit Court Judge Clyde Wolfe told an audience of about 100 during a community discussion presented by the PACT Prevention Coalition of St. Johns County. St. Augustine High School senior Shane McWilliams called teenage drinking a "huge, huge problem, bigger than any other problem I see (at school)." He said beer parties were a regular occurrence, and it's no problem finding out when they'll be. "It's word of mouth. Everybody hears," McWilliams said.
While McWilliams said he did not drink and never had, he drew a round of applause from an audience sprinkled with his peers, law enforcement and judicial officials and parents and grandparents. They weren't as pleased when he told them he was "certainly in the minority." McWilliams admitted his stand was "very difficult. There's nothing to do on a Friday. Everybody's out drinking." His assertion that peer pressure is the biggest factor was echoed by others, including St. Johns County School Superintendent Joe Joyner. Peer pressure and the permissive attitude of many parents are two of the biggest problems, Joyner said. He told of a student who killed himself while driving and drinking and of the phone call he received from the youth's father. He knew his son was drinking, but he said he just wouldn't confront him, Joyner said. It's a situation he's unfortunately seen repeated since then, he said. "Our kids are not drinking like any of you ever did. They drink to get drunk," Nickie Gorce, director of Prevention Programs EPIC Community Services, told the audience. Gorce said parents need to realize the messages they send by drinking or allowing their children to drink. It's a case of "monkey see, monkey do," she said. Drinking, she warned, is "putting our youth at risk.""
That was an assertion echoed by St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar. "In the final analysis, really what we're talking about is that teens may get a disease called alcoholism," Shoar said. "We're not talking about choices or lifestyle. You run that risk of catching that disease. "And you run that risk with your first drink," said panel member Kelly Barrera, the parent of two children. Both Wolfe and Shoar said more laws weren't needed, but programs that help youth needed to be continued. "We need to implement what scarce resources we have," Wolfe said. PACT is seeking ways to reduce underage drinking in St. Johns County. Coming together as a community is one way to make that change, said Beverly Slough, president of PACT. "We need to come together," Slough said. Those interested in getting involved can call Julie Kelly at 829-6262. Monday's program including a movie on underage drinking will be shown on WJCT on April 13, 17, 25 and May 1.
Click here to view the original story: http://staugustine.com/stories/040808/news_stories_012.shtml
In addition to the panel members listed in the news article, Dr. Guillermo Pierluisi, Chief of Emergency Medicine for Flagler Hospital and Ms. Geralyn Sachs, County 4-H Extension Agent were also on the panel. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Michael Goldman, Public Information Officer for the Florida Department of Transportation, Northeast Region. Our local PBS affiliate, WJCT also taped the meeting. The 30 minute edited version, which was broadcast four times, is posted on our website.
(link: http://www.wjctcreativeworx.com/PACTB.html)
Due to popular demand, a full-length version is being edited for use in the community in lieu of live Town Hall meetings. It is intended to inform and also give participants the opportunity to discuss what they see with the Coalition members/staff bring the program to them.