The Lowcountry Alliance for Healthy Youth (LCAHY) is hosting a Community Forum Monday, November 14, 2016 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bluffton High School.
There will be three guest speakers to address different aspects of youth in relation to alcohol and marijuana. The forum will also highlight some of the area’s local high school youth who will speak to how they feel the community can help them lead healthier lives.
The experts include:
- Dr. Lindsay Squeglia of MUSC who will discuss the effects of alcohol and marijuana on teen brain development.
- Dr. Wendy Bell of the SC Law Enforcement Division who will discuss medical marijuana myths
- Michelle Nienhius of the SC Department of Alcohol & Drug Abuse who will provide an overview of the South Carolina student drug survey.
“The purpose of this forum is to engage the public, but more importantly increase awareness our youth face regarding use and substance abuse. We want the public to know what they can do to provide a healthier environment for our teens. The youth are our future so making sure they see a future, should be the primary focus of everyone living and working in this community,” said Wendy Cummings, President of the LCAHY Executive Board.
The LCAHY began in 2012 with the mission of engaging the Hilton Head and Bluffton communities in recognizing, preventing and reducing youth substance use/abuse and related risk behaviors by: (1) addressing the causes/conditions that put our youth at risk and (2) identifying protective factors that will prevent our youth from engaging in behaviors that negatively impact them.
Currently, Bluffton High School has a LCAHY club in which a number of students are active.
Assistant Solicitor Francine Norz represents the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office on the LCAHY board.
To learn more about LCAHY go to www.lcahealthyyouth.com or contact Wendy Cummings at [email protected].
