"Picture Me Alcohol Free!" Youth Event On June 3

June 1, 2010

A special photo exhibit and interactive media presentation at Hanover High School on June 3 will illustrate how a group of young people view the negative effects of underage drinking on our community.

“Picture Me Alcohol Free!” is an initiative of Teens CARE Too and 7th Up. Teens CARE Too is a youth-led group of teenagers interested in promoting wellness and healthy choices; 7th Up consists of students from Atlee and Hanover High Schools who share anti-substance abuse messages with middle-schoolers.

Also helping Teens CARE Too and 7th Up in this effort is Dr. Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, a developmental psychologist employed by Prevention Strategies. Dr. Fearnow-Kenney is a specialist in the area of teen alcohol and drug use and was a participant in Hanover’s Prevention Summit last fall.

“Picture Me Alcohol Free!” uses a unique strategy called photo voice in which artists use photography to document social issues. Easels with 11 X 17 photos taken by a Teens CARE Too member will show how the teens view alcohol and drug abuse in our community. Accompanying the photo exhibit will be a  DVD produced by 7th Up about why they choose to be alcohol-free and why they choose ‘natural highs’ instead.

“Hanover is the first county in the nation to develop a project like this focused on underage drinking,” said Martha Lambert, Coordinator of Community Education for Hanover Community Services.

The program will be held from 5-7 p.m. in the Hanover High School Library. Hanover High School is located at 10307 Chamberlayne Road, Hanover, VA 23069.

This project is funded through a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.