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i am more
It’s not about what you shouldn’t do. It’s about striving for more and rising above alcohol to be something out of the ordinary. I Am More is here to help the DeWitt County, parents and teens, recognize and empower teens and their intrinsic value, identify peer pressure, and make decisions that allow them to follow their passion in life.
To help prevent underage drinking, parents and teens need to talk about the dangers of alcohol. Making teens aware of the risk of underage drinking and equipping parents and teens with the knowledge and confidence to prevent underage drinking is the goal of I Am More.
I Am More aims to decrease underage drinking in DeWitt County through evidence-based strategies. These strategies include programs and policies that have been evaluated and demonstrated to be effective in preventing health problems based on the best available research, not personal belief or anecdotal evidence.
sobering facts about teen alcohol use
YOUTH DRINKING ALCOHOL IS A BIG DEAL.
If you’re under 21, drinking alcohol is a big problem: It’s illegal. If caught, you may have to pay a fine, perform community service, or take alcohol awareness classes. Kids who drink also are more likely to get poor grades in school, and are at higher risk for being a crime victim.
THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY ALCOHOL RELATED DEATHS EACH YEAR THAN OPIOID RELATED DEATHS.
Alcohol increases risks for many deadly diseases, such as cancer. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill you. Underage Drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths annually among underage youth.
ADULTS DRINK, BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRINK, EVEN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
A young person’s brain and body are still growing. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of memory problems, can cause learning problems or lead to adult alcoholism. People who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to abuse or become dependent on alcohol than those who begin drinking after age 21.
SERVING YOUTH ALCOHOL IS ILLEGAL. PERIOD.
If you allow or host a party at your house and provide alcohol to people under age 21 (or if you know or should have known that they are drinking alcohol), you are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. This will result in a fine. Note that you are held responsible regardless if you are the one who provides the alcohol AND regardless if you are home or not. In addition, depending on local community ordinances, you may also be held responsible for the costs of emergency services/law enforcement that respond to a call, attorney fees and other costs associated.
All interested parents and students are welcome to join Coalition for Bright Futures.
Contact Coalition For Bright Future’s Program Coordinator, Nicole Gottfried, at (217) 762-8512 ext 1217 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
objectives of i am more
The I Am More campaign aims to decrease underage drinking in DeWitt County through evidence-based strategies with two clear objectives.
I Am More. Decrease the percent of youth who perceive that nothing bad will happen to them as a result of using alcohol.
We Are More. Decrease the percent of youth who report obtaining alcohol from parents, with and without their permission.
To improve the lives of youth, between the ages of 11-18, and adults in DeWitt County by working to reduce underage alcohol use through prevention, advocacy, and education using evidence-based prevention strategies.
DeWitt County youth, between the ages of 11-18, will no longer lack resources to underage drinking prevention education. Instead, through the efforts of Coalition for Bright Futures, youth will learn how to develop positive coping mechanisms, become educated on life skills and alcohol prevention, engage in activities in the community, and practice more positive behaviors.
about coalition for bright futures
The Coalition for Bright Futures is an involved and engaged group of teachers, counselors, and citizens that are striving towards educating, motivating and improving the lives of youth and others in DeWitt County by reducing underage alcohol use through prevention, advocacy, and education through evidence-based prevention strategies. The Coalition for Bright Futures in conjunction with the Piatt County Mental Health Center has been awarded the Strategic Prevention Framework grant aimed at DeWitt County which focuses on preventing and educating students and parents of the dangers of underage drinking. As a result of this grant the Coalition will focus on the I AM MORE underage drinking prevention campaign. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, underage drinking is a serious public health issue and is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. Additionally, the campaign will be modified to reach parents (WE ARE MORE), to help them understand their role in underage drinking prevention and encourage them to work together to end alcohol abuse and help the next generation succeed.
Coalition for Bright Futures was originally formed as a M.A.D.D. (Moms Against Drunk Driving) coalition. The coalition was developed in response to five youth being killed in alcohol and/or other drug related incidents within a three year time span from 2003 to 2005. After several years of waning participation, Coalition for Bright Futures received the Partnerships for Success Grant, which paved the way for the coalition to start prevention efforts again.
Coalition for Bright Futures continues to advocate for effective alcohol prevention in DeWitt County.