New Jersey County Gets $200,000 to Fight Underage Drinking

New Jersey’s Hunterdon County recently found itself the recipient of a federal grant of almost $200,000 to fight underage drinking among area youths. The grant was allocated through the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act, which was announced by United States senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. “One death from underage drinking is too many, yet as many as 5,000 young people die each year as a result of alcohol consumption,” said Lautenberg. Several townships in the county have already increased penalties for providing alcohol to minors.

Of all the drugs that some teens try, including marijuana, meth, cocaine, PCP, bath salts, heroin, or others, alcohol is the most popular. Alcohol is “the premier drug of choice for kids because it’s so accessible,” said Hunterdon Central High School Superintendent Chris Steffner . One thing that parents can do to discourage underage drinking is to make sure their alcohol isn’t accessible to kids. Though if a young person has a drinking problem, the best remedy is the same thing it is for adults: a good treatment program, at a state-of-the-art facility with caring staff.

If you think you have a problem with alcohol dependence or abuse, you should seek help now before you put yourself or a loved one at risk. Thankfully, there is good help available. Detoxification and behavioral therapy have proven to be effective in treating alcoholism. Addicts are often unable to complete treatment on their own or with family members, so it’s very important to seek the right treatment center. At Seabrook, we customize our treatment plans to individual patient’s needs, so you know the help you’re getting is right for you or a loved one. Seabrook has rehabilitation centers in New Jersey (NJ), Pennsylvania (PA), and an outpatient center in New York (NY). Contact Seabrook today for any questions about alcohol, addiction, and treatment.