Chapel Hill Carrboro City schools has partnered with The Campus & Community Coalition for a new health education and prevention campaign being launched this fall. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools joins the Campus & Community Coalition, Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Orange County Health Department as part of a community-wide effort to reduce underage alcohol/drug use and experimentation among youth in our community. Throughout the campaign, we will provide parents and guardians with tools, resources, and support to have critical conversations regarding substance use.
Young people who begin drinking before the age of 15 are six times more likely to develop alcoholism or have problems with alcohol later in life when compared to those who wait until turning 21. Communication is key to prevention, and essential in building and sustaining a positive relationship with our children. Our goal for this campaign is to make alcohol-related harms, along with underage drinking, part of a community conversation, and to help facilitate discussions among families.
Campaign information will be distributed and available in a variety of mediums, including online/social media, printed materials, and a government-developed app that features an interactive simulation to help you talk with children about underage substance use. We are also working with the PTA, Orange County Health Department, community organizations, and other partners to share and distribute these resources.
Our campaign approach is based on research that shows that parents are the number one influence on a child's decision to use alcohol and drugs. Talking to your children at an early age about drinking is the first step toward keeping them substance-free, and can have a real impact on your child's decisions about using substances. Research shows that children are more likely to avoid substance use when they have a strong, trusting relationship with their parents. It is our hope that this campaign, and the resources we provide, will empower you to have these critical conversations.
Please be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks. If you have any specific questions about the campaign, please contact Scarlett Steinert, Director of Healthful Living & Athletics at 919-967-8211 (ext. 28284).
Sincerely,
Pam Baldwin, Superintendent
Dr. Dorothy Cilenti, Interim Director, Orange County Health Department
Winston Crisp, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UNC - Chapel Hill
Tony DuBois, Orange County ABC General Manager
Roger Stancil, Town Manager, Town of Chapel Hill