HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-15-2014 - 4b 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 15, 2014
Action Agenda
Item No. 4-b
SUBJECT: Proclamation Recognizing "PowerTalk 21 Day" in Orange County
DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Board of Commissioners
Proclamation Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board, 245-
2130
PURPOSE: To consider proclaiming April 21, 2014 as "PowerTalk 21 Day" in Orange County.
BACKGROUND: Gayane Chambless, on behalf of the Orange County Orange Partnership for
Alcohol and Drug Free Youth, petitioned the Board at its April 1, 2014 meeting for the Board's
consideration and support of a PowerTalk 21 campaign in Orange County. The Orange County
Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth is partnering with Mothers Against Drunk
Driving of North Carolina (MADD NC) to bring this PowerTalk 21 campaign to Orange County.
MADD NC had been asked by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) to pilot this campaign in North Carolina. Because Orange County has been so
proactive in prevention efforts, the Orange Partnership has been invited to participate.
The Orange Partnership's mission is to reach parents and other adults, encouraging them to be
aware of the issues and talk to the youth in their lives. PowerTalk 21 fits perfectly in line with
that mission to do so, and provides the tools to share with adults in the community. The
proposal is for a proclamation from the Board, as an invitation and call to action throughout the
County, to recognize April 21, 2014 as "PowerTalk 21 Day" in Orange County
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve and authorize the
Chair to sign the proclamation.
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 2
PROCLAMATION
"PowerTalk 21 Day" in Orange County
WHEREAS, Orange County values the health and safety of all its residents; and
WHEREAS, substance abuse is particularly damaging to one of our most valuable resources,
our children; and
WHEREAS, youth who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol
dependency later in life; and
WHEREAS, teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year, more than all other illegal drugs
combined; and
WHEREAS, high school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely
to drop out of school; and
WHEREAS, the majority of youth say their parents are their primary influence when it comes to
decisions about drinking alcohol; and
WHEREAS, Orange County recognizes the role of parents, and the importance of talking with
their teens about alcohol; and
WHEREAS, PowerTalk 21® day is established on April 21, 2014 to encourage parents and
caregivers to embrace their important role in influencing America's youth and their decisions
about drinking alcohol; and
WHEREAS, in 2014 Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) kicked off "21 Days in Support of
21," beginning on April 1St and culminating in PowerTalk 21 on April 21St, in order to create a
sustained and prolonged national conversation about underage drinking; and
WHEREAS, to equip parents to talk with their teens about alcohol, the Orange Partnership for
Alcohol and Drug Free Youth, in collaboration with MADD of North Carolina, will host a free
community town hall event to give parents, caregivers and community members the opportunity
to explore the issue of underage drinking and how to effectively talk with teens about alcohol;
and
WHEREAS, local town halls and parent workshops, replicated across the country, will offer
parents research-based tools to help them talk with their teens about alcohol and encourage
adults to consider creating a safer community by becoming involved in reducing underage
drinking; and
WHEREAS, all people are urged to join in the local and national efforts to raise awareness of the
importance of parents and teens talking together about alcohol in order to reduce the risks and
dangers posed to teens and communities;
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim
Monday, April 21, 2014 to be:
PowerTalk 21® Day
in Orange County, North Carolina.
This the 15th day of April, 2014.
Barry Jacobs, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners