Forums planned on teen alcohol, drug use

The push to educate suburban parents about teen alcohol and drug use in their communities continues this week, with two separate forums on the topic Wednesday night, Oct. 27.

The forums are free and open to the public.

Three high school districts Stevenson High School District 125, Libertyville-Vernon Hills District 128 and Northwest Suburban High School District 214 are joining forces to host “Teens, Drugs and Alcohol: What Every Parent Should Know.”

It begins at 7 p.m. in Stevenson High School's West Auditorium, 1 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire. For planning purposes, attendees are asked to register in advance at http://tinyurl.com/townhall10-27.

Representatives from mental health and treatment agencies will speak and audience members can ask questions during a panel discussion. They'll share information on teenage use of alcohol, marijuana, heroin and prescription medicines, alert parents to warning signs, and offer treatment options. Also discussed will be the legal consequences for parents and other adults who encourage or enable drug or alcohol use by underage students.

A similar forum will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lake Zurich High School, 300 Church St.

In conjunction with Red Ribbon Week, the newly formed Ela Coalition Against Youth Substance Abuse will host an educational forum, featuring speakers from local social service and law enforcement agencies.

The forum will provide a status report on what's going on in the community, and time for questions and answers from the audience.

In February, the Barrington Area Drug Prevention Coalition plans to host an educational forum at Barrington High School. Details of the forum have not yet been finalized.