Forums Address Underage Drinking and Drug Use

Local experts on preventing drug and alcohol use by teens will hold a series of free community forums at area schools. Designed to help families talk about the dangerous substances students have access to each day, the presentations will offer data specific to the East County region.

The forums are lead by drug experts, educators and law enforcement, including Phil Hubbs, a retired police officer and executive director of the Proactive Network Against Substance Abuse (PRONASA); William Perno, a former Sheriff’s deputy and co-founder of People Against Spice Sales (PASS); and Deputy David Leonhardi, of the Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Station.

Consider these statistics:

• East County has the most emergency room visits in the county related to underage drinking. More than 260 young people were treated in local ERs for alcohol-related injuries in 2010, comprising 23 percent of all underage drinkers reaching emergency rooms that year, according to the county Health and Human Services Agency.

• From 2006-2011 in San Diego County, 144 people age 20 and younger died with alcohol in their system—an average of 28 each year. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, 15 of those who died were from East County.

• According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, half of 11th graders surveyed in East County high schools report alcohol as being “very easy” to get.

Drug trends are equally troubling. Marijuana use is at a record high among high school seniors nationwide, and there has been a rise in the use of synthetic drugs called bath salts and spice.

The first forum is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Monte Vista High School, 3230 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Others will follow at Mount Miguel, Steele Canyon and Valhalla High Schools.

In Lemon Grove, the third annual Underage Drinking Forum will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at . The event is hosted by the District PTA Council, the Lemon Grove Collaborative, and the East County Community Change Project.

The evening will start with a free family dinner, feature expert presentations, and offer separate break-out sessions for youth.

For more information, call Joyce Moore at 619-938-2942 or Anna Schen at 619-825-5645.