Around 100 parents and teens from Morris County attended a town hall meeting on underage drinking on March 31 at Drew University. Keynote speaker Dr. Walter Rosenfeld, Chairman of Pediatrics at Goryeb Children's Hospital, provided an overview of the problem of youth alcohol use and touched on effective parenting strategies. The meeting featured a panel of experts who provided information on a variety of topics including legal consequences of underage drinking, effects of alcohol use on the teen brain, and the "40 Developmental Assets" essential to youth success. The audience also heard from a parent and a teen who discussed parenting, communication styles and substance use. The event was made possible through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). MCPIK and several community partners worked together to organize the meeting, including Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM), Morris County Partners in Substance Abuse Prevention, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Goryeb Children's Hospital, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
