The Carson High Stand Tall Don't Fall students: first row, from left, Natalie Bergstrom, Hannah Lang, Lacey Alexander and Dalia Perez; second row, Erica Walent and Amanda Cook; third row, Tessa Richards, Fernanda Gadanha, Anthea Mattick, KK Melton, Ashley LaFountain, Carlos Rios and Mel Puentes; fourth row, Matt Berggren, Lance Medieros and Jon Medina. Photo by Linda Lang
Carson City Stand Tall Don't Fall will receive one of the 12 awards to be given by the Nevada Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Project Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Airport Plaza Hotel in Reno.
The group has been active since 2000, and includes middle and high school youth for a total of approximately 25. Students participate in Stand Tall leadership training, present findings at various conferences, coordinate activities in the school and community, and work with law enforcement to support strategies to reduce youth drinking.
The Dayton and Douglas Stand Tall Don't Fall groups will also be recognized.
Since 2000, local communities have addressed issues surrounding underage drinking through the support of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws project, a national initiative funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
This initiative is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors by engaging law enforcement in enforcement operations, and community coalitions in public education and policy development.
Law enforcement agencies are conducting compliance checks, fake-ID operations, controlled party dispersal, special-events controls and juvenile DUI checkpoints.
Youth teams work with schools and community organizations to educate their peers and parents about the physical effects of underage alcohol usage and the relation of alcohol usage to other behaviors such as drug use, teen pregnancy and youth violence.
Schools have partnered to pilot a model school athletic and activities-use policy. Nevada has been recognized as a leader in the nation for its creative underage drinking strategies, resulting in multiple discretionary grants being received to support its efforts.
-- Submitted by Linda Lang, adult coordinator for Carson's Stand Tall Don't Fall.