LIHU‘E — The public is invited to the video launch of “Wasted … time is always wasted if you’re wasted all the time,” today at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There is
LIHU‘E — The public is invited to the video launch of “Wasted … time is always wasted if you’re wasted all the time,” today at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
There is no admission charge for the event which will feature the arrival of Ka Wise Leaders, presenters of the program which will also feature a lineup of youth entertainment including Paradox Lockdown and Str8 Lyrical.
Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth, states a release from the county’s Anti-Drug office. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. This has resulted in underage drinking becoming a leading public health problem in the country.
About 5,000 young people under 21 years old die as a result of underage drinking each year, including about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result o homicides, 300 from suicides and hundreds from other injuries.
On Kaua‘i, the age of first use of alcohol for boys is 11 years old and 13 years old for girls, according to a statewide study through the University of Hawai‘i’s Center on Family.
Alcohol advertising beckons the young youth, spending more than $5 billion annually, saying “alcohol is the best way to have a good time.”
The county’s anti-drug office states the advertising is clearly targeted at the underage audience and the products they advertise are not limited to beer, wine and hard liquor. More drinks which appeal to the young drinker are appearing, including “alco-pops,” sweet colorful and made to look like a soft drink.
The free event is made possible through funding from the County of Kaua‘i, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Strategic Prevention Framework and the Hawai‘i Partnership to Prevent Underage Drinking.
Call 241-4925 for more information, or to request assistance, auxiliary aids or an alternate format of materials.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
