Kids Need to Know Dangers of Drinking

Prom season is fast approaching, meaning we will be seeing badly wrecked cars parked in front of area high schools any day now.

The cars serve as frightening reminders to students who may be thinking of partying away their prom weekend that they or their friends could end up seriously injured or even dead if they drive under the influence of alcoholic beverages.

The Black Horse Pike Regional School District, in concert with the township's K-8 district, will take things a step further this spring when it will host a series of programs warning students and their families of the dangers of drinking.

Period.

These programs aren't just about the dangers of drunken driving. They're about the dangers of underage drinking.

On Thursday, March 31, student-assistance coordinators from Highland, Timber Creek, and Triton high schools and Ann A. Mullen, Charles W. Lewis, and Glen Landing middle schools invite parents to attend From Drinking for Fun to Dependence: A Personal Odyssey.

Come out to Timber Creek Regional High School to hear a 26-year-old alcoholic and his mother discuss his struggles with alcohol abuse.

Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris, have co-authored the book From Binge to Blackout: A Mother and Son Struggle with Teen Drinking. Copies of the book will be available at a discounted price on March 31.

The program begins with sandwiches and dessert at 6 p.m.

If you want to attend this special event, you must place reservations by March 25. To do so, call 856-875-8777 ext. 7122 or send Sharlene Jochym an e-mail at sjochym@gloucester.k12.nj.us.

Middle- and high-school students will be attending assemblies pertaining to underage drinking this spring, but can also attend the evening program with their parents March 31.