Town Hall Meetings Focus on Underage Drinking

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The state is putting the spotlight on underage drinking and driving and parents are invited to participate.

A town hall meeting addressing the issue was scheduled for Tuesday night at Blanchard Middle School, in Blanchard.

"Local community coalitions applied for the funding for these programs," said Jeffrey Dismukes, Director of Public Information for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. "It's part of the 2 Much 2 Lose program. We have a very strong focus this year on the prevention of underage sales and reducing underage access to alcohol. This continues to be an issue in the state. And, while we have made progress in reducing the number of underage drinkers in the state, primarily through the education efforts that we have initiated in recent years, there is still a significant population of underage drinkers who are suffering severe consequences as a result."

Last week law enforcement agencies from across the state participated in a two-day training exercise in Oklahoma City that focused on current alcohol laws, compliance checks, party dispersals and media advocacy.