State Awards Grants for Underage Drinking Prevention

ALBANY, NY (02/13/2009)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced grant funding totaling $336,822 for 27 prevention programs to combat underage drinking across the state.

The grant funds will support the Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don't be a Party to Teenage Drinking Program, and the EUDL Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership initiative provided by the federally funded Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Block Grant. The primary goals of the grants are to reduce, prevent and ultimately eliminate youth alcohol access.

"Underage drinking is not a minor problem, approximately 900,000 young people drink in New York State," Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo said. "By giving local leaders the resources they need to strengthen prevention and law enforcement efforts, parents, teens, and other community members will be educated on the dangers and consequences of underage drinking, keeping our children healthy and safe from alcohol abuse."

In 2006, drinking drivers under age 21 were involved in 897 alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in New York, resulting in 54 fatalities. The Center for Disease Control's 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated that 44 percent of New York students in grades 9-12 have had at least one drink in the last 30 days, and that 25 percent had engaged in binge drinking.

The Parents Who Host, Lose the Most funding of approximately $4,900 to each recipient will educate parents and community members about the risks of serving alcohol to teens and increase awareness of underage drinking laws.

The EUDL Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership grants which total about $15,000 each foster collaboration between prevention providers and law enforcement to conduct environmental strategies such as party patrols, compliance checks and responsible beverage server training.

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems of prevention, treatment and recovery with 1,550 prevention programs which serve 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

For information or assistance with an alcohol, substance abuse or problem gambling, call the addictions helpline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or go to the OASAS web site at www.oasas.state.ny.us. To report underage alcohol sales or an underage drinking party, please call 1-866-under21.

The award recipients include:

Grantee Name

Grant

Coalition Name

Municipality

Amanda Verba

Director of Youth Development

Parents Who Host Lose The Most

T-S-T BOCES

Ithaca

James Bassage

Prevention Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Steuben Council on Addictions

Bath

Susan Jenkins

Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most
Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

BRIDGES/Madison County Council

Canastota

Dr. Sharon E. Harris

Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Substance Abuse Free Environment, Inc.

Glen Cove

Doug Terbeek

Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Substance Abuse Prevention Team of Essex

Ticonderoga

Patricia Z. Munson

Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Chautauqua Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Council

Jamestown

Stephen D'Auria
Student Assistance Counselor

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Nyack Public Schools

Upper Nyack

Vanessa Vogel

Program Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Catholic Charities of Columbia & Green

Hudson

Christine Epifania
Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Alternatives Counseling Services, Inc.

Southampton

Andrea J. Wanat
Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (ECCPASA)

Buffalo

Norine Hodges
Executive Director

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Schoharie County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc.

Cobleskill

Ms. Jolene Corlew
Prevention Services Coordinator

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Council for Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Hudson Falls

Ms. JoAnn Salamone
Program Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Catholic Charities of Herkimer County

Ilion

Ms. Jennifer Vitkus
Prevention Manager

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

The Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc.

Albany

Ms. Margaret Brennan
Community Prevention Coordinator

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Rensselaer County Unified Services

Troy

Ms. Sarah K. Dekobertis
Community Educator

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Council on Addiction Prevention & Education of Dutchess County

Poughkeepsie

Ms. Robin Lyle
Community Mobilization Specialist

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

The Prevention Council

Saratoga

Mr. Nelson Acquilano
Executive Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Council on Alcoholism and Addictions of the Finger Lakes

Geneva

Mr. Michael Prutsman
Director of Prevention Services

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Cattaraugus County Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse

Olean

Ms. Deborah Bills
Executive Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

County of Oswego Council on Alcoholism & Addictions, Inc.

Oswego

Mr. Bill Bowman
Executive Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council/Jefferson County

Watertown

Mrs. Lorette Adams
Chairperson

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Clarkstown Community Task Force

New City

Ms. Judy McClurg
Program Coordinator

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Wyoming County Mental Health/Partners for Prevention

Warsaw

Ms. Maryann Bowman
Prevention Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Inc.

Batavia

Ms. Mary Grace, Prev & Treatment Prog. Director

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Seneca County Community Services Board Department of Mental Health

Waterloo

Ms. Kimberly Strauser
Director of Prevention Services

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc.

Wellsville

Mr. Jack Bennett
Director of Ulster Prevention Project

Prevention and Law Enforcement Partnership

Family Services

Kingston

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