Whether the alcohol is consumed in a park, at a party and even at home with parental supervision, there is still potential harm.
The Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition will partner with the Cheatham County School District’s Title I Schools to sponsor a “Cheatham Cares” town hall meeting about the consequences of underage alcohol consumption on Thursday, March 9.
The free program will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the Cheatham County Central High School theatre in Ashland City. The community is invited to attend.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. A light dinner will be served from 5:15-6 p.m.
During the program, students from CCCHS, Sycamore High School and Pleasant View Christian School will perform skits revolving around the theme.
The speaker will be Phaedra Olsen of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Tennessee.
Olson was injured in May 1996 at age 22 after leaving a concert in Missouri. A drunk driver hit Olson’s vehicle nearly head-on.
Olson’s injuries were numerous and life-threatening. She spent three weeks in a coma and 5 1/2 weeks on life support before waking to learn that the decision to save her life had cost her the ability to walk.
In 2010, she was crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA, bringing awareness to the dangers of drunk driving by choosing it as her official platform. In 2012, she moved to Tennessee as the underage drinking specialist for MADD in Tennessee.
The event will include a panel discussion, featuring Ray Crouch, District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District; Phillip Maxey, Cheatham County Juvenile Court Judge; and Dr. Constance Johnson, a neurologist.
There will also be a question-and-answer session following the panel discussion.
The program will feature information about the consequences of underage alcohol use from the perspective of a crash survivor; legal consequences for adults who purchase alcohol or host parties for youth (Tennessee’s Social Host Law); legal consequences for youth that consume alcohol; consequences of alcohol use on the adolescent brain; and the roles that parents, educators and communities play in creating youth that are healthy and thriving without the influence of alcohol.
The program is part of the Communities Talk campaign headed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The mission of the Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition is to educate and promote community involvement in reducing alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and other health issues in the community.
For more information about the town hall meeting, call the coalition at 615-569-4400, email [email protected] or visit the “Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition” Facebook page.