20 YOUTHS LEARN ABOUT DANGERS OF DRUGS IN ORDER TO TEACH OTHERS

Twenty local young people gave up their Saturday afternoon to learn about
the dangers of alcohol and tobacco and how they can help teach what they
learned to their peers.

The meeting was sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free Community, a
private, nonprofit organization committed to the prevention of youth
alcohol/drug abuse through awareness, education and action.

Dr. Larry Robey, director of the Madison County Public Health Department,
and Jan Byrne, education coordinator for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board, talked to the group about the differences between the use of
alcohol and tobacco for young people and adults, noting especially the
dangers.

Statistics show, Robey said, that kids who start smoking at an early age
will smoke all their lives, most likely suffering related medical problems
as they get older.

Byrne said people between the ages of 16 and 20 make up about 8 percent of
all licensed drivers in the state, but are involved in 10 percent of all
alcohol-related crashes.

She said statistics show nearly half of all high school students drink in
cars.

Local news media representatives talked to the group about ways to get the
information they learned on Saturday to the public.

Then the kids split up into groups and started working on projects they
will write and produce for a local cable show, radio and the newspaper.

The projects will continue throughout the summer, said Deborah Soule,
executive director of the Partnership.