Free Public Educational Meeting on Steering Youth Away From Alcohol

Underage drinking and substance abuse in the Beach Cities will be the topic of a free public meeting tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District administration building, 325 S. Peck Ave.

Titled "Protecting Our Teens Brain Power With Social Host Ordinance," the meeting will feature Dr. Lisa M. Santora, MPH and chief medical officer for the Beach Cities Health District, and Rocky Wilson, PhD and a math teacher and substance abuse intervention adviser at Mira Costa High School. 

According to online event information, the meeting will revolve around 4 main points:

• Why underage drinking is harmful.
• Showing how the rates of underage drinking in Manhattan Beach and other area cities are above average for the state (based on as much local city data that's available).
• Discuss how these above-average rates persist despite Manhattan Beach offering a more robust than normal set of supports to curb underage drinking (multiple school-based supports, a plethora of healthy activity options and a Social Host Ordinance).
• Focusing on how the adults in the community have the best chance to help drive down underage drinking. If adults do not facilitate alcohol use, passively condone it or ignore it, the problem will decrease. The Social Host Ordinance is a tool adults can use, according to event literature.

Free online registration ends today at 5:30 p.m.