Letters to the Editor

A PLEA FROM FAMILY TREE

Isn't anyone tired of hearing about young people drinking alcohol in Lafayette? Children and adolescents in this area have no trouble obtaining alcohol, and when they do, no one seems to have any objections about them drinking it. Something must be done. The Family Tree is currently working with several community agencies, businesses, and individuals to address the problem of underage drinking with Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA).

CMCA is funded through the Lafayette Parish School System's Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant. CMCA is designed to reduce adolescents' access to alcohol by changing community policies and practices. We want to communicate a clear message to the community that underage drinking is inappropriate and unacceptable. In Lafayette, the CMCA coalition has already begun working on interviews to obtain public perception about the issue of alcohol use among teenagers, surveys with high school students about their personal alcohol use, educating them about the risks of alcohol and initiating a public awareness media campaign.

We need the support of the community and the input of concerned citizens to implement lasting change. The CMCA coalition meetings are open to the public and are held monthly at The Family Tree, 605 W. Saint Mary Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506. The next meeting will be on Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 from 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, please call Stephanie Major or Lindsay Rogers at (337) 237-2160 or attend our next monthly meeting. Together we can make a difference!