Welcome

The Westchester County Advisory Council on Underage Drinking was created in September 2002 through the efforts of District Attorney Jeanine Pirro and the Westchester County School Superintendents to assist local communities in Westchester County in developing and most importantly, sustaining local coalitions to deal with the problems of underage drinking and substance abuse. It is the goal of the Westchester County Advisory Council on Underage Drinking to provide information and assistance to local communities to enable them to create and implement a sustained plan of action to address the problem of substance abuse involving all the members of a community (parents, schools, students, businesses, clergy, students, law enforcement, local government and health professionals). Community involvement and accountability are the keys to success. This website will provide ideas and strategies that coalitions may use as well as providing the list of coalitions in Westchester so that collaborations and information sharing may occur.

You can navigate through the various groups in a coalition by using the links on the left-hand side of ever page and see what they can offer to a coalition.

News and Updates

CLEAR CHOICES EXPANDS TO LAKELAND The drug, alcohol and violence prevention program for middle school students and their families sponsored by Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro has expanded into the largest middle school in Westchester County - Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School. This makes five area middle schools who participate in this comprehensive prevention initiative that began in the Pleasantville Union Free School District in 1998. In September 2004, the Harvey School in Katonah will join the Task Force as the sixth school. The program places great emphasis on parent accountability and accountability. For more information call the Community Crime Prevention Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney's Office at 914 995-3317. M.A.D.D. OFFERS ON-LINE PREVENTION PROGRAMS M.A.D.D. now offers an innovative prevention initiative for high school and college students. Utilizing the internet, M.A.D.D. created Outside the Classroom, an interactive science based alcohol education program. Check it out at www.outsidetheclassroom.com/MADD SAFE HOMES COMES TO NORTH SALEM The North Salem Community Coalition is in the process of launching a SAFE HOMES initiative in their community. Utilizing the coalition's website, parents in the community have easy access to the list of those parents who pledge that there will be no alcohol allowed to minors in their homes. For more information go to www.northsalemcoalition.com LAKELAND COMMUNITY COALITION OFFERS ALCOHOL FREE EVENTS TO JUNIOR CLASSES The Lakeland Community Coalition, through its business community representative, will provide the junior classes of Lakeland HS and Walter Panas HS with $2,500 each for them to use in hosting an alcohol free event. Lakeland juniors, who decided not to have a junior prom, will use the money to hold an evening of fun & entertainment at Club Fit in Jefferson Valley. Panas juniors will have a junior prom but intend to use the money to hold an after prom event at Club Fit. Coalition members will work with the students in planning the events. PLEASANTVILLE LAUNCHES THEIR "LOCK YOUR LIQUOR" CAMPAIGN This Spring, the CLEAR CHOICES Community Advisory Board of Pleasantville will introduce to their community the "Lock Your Liquor" campaign. Business representative John Gilfeather, a furniture maker and Pat Fogarty, a locksmith, have created various ways to lock your liquor up in your homes, ranging from an inexpensive lock or cabinet to a fine piece of furniture. The two coalition members have created do-it-yourself plans to implement these ideas which will be available on the Town's website. This will coincide with an informational campaign that points out that the #1 place adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 get their alcohol is in their parents' homes.