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| Mitchell Freitas of the 84 Movement speaks about tobacco prevention in youth. |
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| Cassie McIsaac plays a depressed teen in a Public Service Video produced by SCAP. ~Photos by Andrew Firestone |
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Andrew Firestone
The
local group, Somerville Cares About Prevention, has had success in
fighting underage drinking. They have produced educational videos and
worked to make Somerville the toughest place in the state for minors to
buy alcohol.
But now, Somerville Cares About Prevention is
fighting to maintain their services. SCAP Director Cory Mashburn said
the group will be forced to cut their budget by 50 percent next year,
after a federal grant expires.
SCAP organizer Taylor Green
said Somerville's underage drinking rate dropped 4 percent since 2008
due to the group's efforts. "Somerville continues to move in the right
direction," Green said. "It may not look like we reduced the percent of
youth drinking, but it is when we are talking about young lives."
Somerville
teens passed out over 500 buttons with the message "79% Don't" to their
peers. A public service announcement produced by teenage SCAP
organizers and Somerville Community Access Television is now used in
the State House to demonstrate proper compliance procedures.
Somerville
police officer Warren Chaille said only two of 50 stores and
restaurants checked by police for selling alcohol to minors, failed.
"That's the highest compliance rate in the state," he said.
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At
a SCAP event last week, Mashburn said the group was looking to find new
funding sources to replace the expired federal grant. He pledged SCAP
would continue to get the word out to Somerville teens about unhealthy
drinking habits.
"A lot of kids have this misconception that
everybody's doing it," said Lovellee Heller, a SCAP organizer. "It's
about promoting the positive aspects of healthy behaviors."
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