MCPC - Macomb County Prevention Coalition, drug-free schools, ken lampar, macomb, michigan

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Teen drinking down in Macomb Community groups meet to discuss what efforts work best.

By Chad Halcom Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Teenage drinking declined in Macomb County, according to a survey, and a local coalition of activists geared at curbing substance abuse believes the data prove some of its efforts are succeeding.

But figuring out exactly which initiative worked, and how effectively, is more of a challenge.

The percentage of high school seniors in 12 Macomb County school districts who reported consuming alcohol within the past month declined from 67 percent in 1995 to 61 percent in 2003, according to a survey cited Tuesday by members of the Macomb County Prevention Coalition.

Among tenth-graders, the data show a more promising decline from 54 percent to 45 percent, and among eighth-graders the portion reporting alcohol use dropped to just 21 percent in the latest survey.
"It used to be that when we talked to lawmakers and police about kids using alcohol and tobacco, they'd tell us we have more urgent things to deal with," said Lucy Smith of the Macomb County Office of Substance Abuse, which has compiled some of that data. "Now they seem to be listening, and sharing a concern these are gateway drugs and can lead to other issues."

Among the new initiatives to curb youthful drinking is the "Party Patrol" program at the Fraser Department of Public Safety. Lt. Jeffrey Newton said the initiative, begun in 2004 in Fraser, has led to at least five teenage party "busts" in the last nine months and seems to engender more cooperation from parents.

"We'll bring the parents to the party that night, rather than meeting their kids down at the station," he explained. "When they (the parents) see the evidence, and the scene, we find they're usually more willing to buy in with the (police) enforcement."

Fraser began taking part in 2004 in a program which has been under way statewide since 2001, and aims to crack down on known teen hangouts, wild parties and places where youngsters are known to buy beer or bring beverages along, Newton said.

The Macomb County Prevention Coalition held a "town hall" style meeting on the subject of underage drinking Tuesday in Clinton Township involving several law enforcement agencies, school district officials, 41A District Judge Kimberly Wiegand, a few student activists from area high schools, and staff members of Macomb Family Services Inc. which hosted the event.

The coalition also showed its members a set of public service announcements produced nationally by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which feature children speaking to a support group of substance abusers about the problems they expect to develop later in life if they begin abusing alcohol and drugs.

Ken Lampar, executive director for the MCPC, said his organization has been in talks with Comcast Cable about funding advertising time to air the commercials locally in the near future.

"That way at least we're going to try and get the message to Comcast subscribers in our immediate area, and take advantage of this tool," he explained.

Lampar also said the data on declining alcohol use among teens is encouraging, and while he believes law enforcement and limited availability of liquor have helped, it is hard to determine which program among the many supported by MCPC has been most effective.