Healthy Lincoln County has partnered with Lincoln County Television to film a new monthly Community Health series. The first show will air in April, and is focused on underage drinking, in observance of Alcohol Awareness Month.
“While we know Maine is in the midst of an opioid crisis, we also know that about 20 percent of high schoolers in Lincoln County report drinking alcohol on a regular basis. This is according to the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, which youth take every two years,” said Kate Martin, director of Healthy Lincoln County.
The Community Health Series centers on Healthy Lincoln County’s coalition, the Substance Use Prevention Partnership, whose mission is to promote healthy youth development and prevent and reduce underage drinking and drug use.
Each month, guests from local organizations will be featured. For April, that includes Chief Deputy Rand Maker of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; Sarah Foley, a senior at Wiscasset Middle High School; Martin, from Healthy Lincoln County; and Emily Bauer, from Healthy Lincoln County, as moderator.
The goal of the Community Health series is to raise awareness and provide education on public health issues in Lincoln County. “The adolescent brain is not ready for alcohol. Introducing alcohol during the teen years can put them at risk for addiction and poor decision-making. We hope to share information and tools that anyone can use in their life to keep young people healthy and safe,” said Martin.
The show will start running on Thursday, March 29 on LCTV and will air twice a week throughout April to draw attention to Alcohol Awareness Month. It will be further aired periodically during the year. For this week’s airing times, check the LCTV schedule published in The Lincoln County News. The Community Health series will continue to showcase a new topic each month through the summer.
