We're Not Alone

It's kind of a given that SADD groups are open to high school students, but what about outside of school? Is there anyone promoting good decisions outside the walls of schools? The answer is yes. One program is called Parents Who Host Lose The Most. They are a group devoted to stopping parents from supplying alcohol to underage people. In Wisconsin alone, there are 64 coalitions, with 51 of Wisconsin's 72 counties participating in these groups. In my county, Bayfield, our group is known as the "Have You Had Enough?" Alcohol Abuse Reduction Taskforce. One cool thing about this group is that they are willing to meet with schools and try to find a solution to underage drinking. Today was one of those days. Five members of the group were willing to join our SADD group today and discussed what they do and who they are. Another interesting part of this group is that the members are all volunteering their work toward the group. There is no funding for them, they are simply meeting a need. They are also from multiple different parts of the Bayfield County system. One member is the county's DA, another is the Director of the Bayfield County Health Department, even the sheriff is involved. Also, as a part of this taskforce, they are not only aiming to lead you away from substance abuse, they are trying to work with you to figure out more effective ways to get you to understand how making the choice to drink can affect your life. While we were talking about the choices my fellow SADD members and I made when joining SADD, the sheriff said that he was proud that we had made the decision to not drink, to not let alcohol influence us. He said the sooner individuals make that decision, "the sooner you start out, the better your life will be." And I completely agree with that. Alcohol has a pattern. Choosing to drink can have any number of effects, whether immediately, or farther down the road. What I really like about the taskforce is that they are a great reinforcement to have. While we in SADD work within the school, the taskforce reaches out to the community. They help to reinforce our messages and goals and help us to reach out to the community. As the VP of my school's SADD group, I am extremely appreciative of the taskforce's willingness to come and speak to us. I think that it helped to show that our group is not alone, that there are others out there working to stop the use of alcohol and drugs before it starts, just like we are. 

.make good choices, lead good lives.

For more information on SADD groups, visit:

http://sadd.org/

and if you would like to start a chapter, visit:

http://sadd.org/formchapter.htm

For more information on Parents Who Host, visit:

http://drugfreeactionalliance.org/parents-who-host

and to find if you're county has a participating chapter, visit:

http://sites.google.com/site/parentswhohostawi/Home/participating-community-list