Rye high school students and their parents are invited to attend a panel discussion focusing on the health and legal implications of underage substance use. The event, titled “Teens and Substances – Their Health, The Law and Your Liability” will take place at the Performing Arts Center at Rye High School on Thursday, March 31 from 7 to 8:30pm.
(PHOTO: New Rye PD Commish Corcoran will be paneling.)
Rye’s newly appointed Police Commissioner, Michael Corcoran, will make his first appearance to the parent community as part of the expert panel. Joining him will be Dr. Gigi Madore, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Montefiore New Rochelle; Lillian Neuman, Community Outreach & Education Coordinator at St. Vincent’s Hospital; Police Officer Jack Brito from the Westchester County Dept of Public Safety, and Paula Branca-Santos, Assistant District Attorney and Chief of the White Plains Office of the Westchester DA’s Office.
The evening is presented by the Rye Youth Council in partnership with Rye High School and Rye-ACT, the newly formed community Drug and Alcohol Coalition, and is sponsored by Mathnasium of Rye. Organizers promise an “unflinching look” at some of the issues surrounding underage drug and alcohol use.
(PHOTO: Bad stuff.)
The experts will discuss a variety of scenarios, acted out by a group of students under the direction of RHS teacher Michael Limone. There will also be opportunities for the audience to ask questions. Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director of Student Assistance Service Corp., will moderate the discussion.
A similar event two years ago drew a crowd of more than 700 people, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “Parents in our community recognize underage substance use as a very troubling issue”, says Lisa Dominici Faries, RYC President of the Board. “We are grateful to be working with Principal Taylor and Rye-ACT to shed more light on this problem. Hopefully the evening will encourage parents to continue this conversation at home.”
For more information please contact the Rye Youth Council office at 967-3838 or email office@ryeyouthcouncil.org.
