Speech to Rotarians Sobriety Checkpoints 
CADA Chairman, Anthony Santucci, today gave the following remarks to Hamilton Rotarians on the topics of Educating the Community about Sobriety Checkpoints, what they look like and what they are designed to do.
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Encouraging Open Dialogue between Adults and Young People about not drinking alcohol until at least age 18 and about responsible drinking after age 18 ---
"Good afternoon President Simons, Rotary members, ladies and gentlemen. It is always a pleasure to speak at Hamilton Rotary lunches each April. As you know, April is Alcohol Awareness Month. At CADA, encouraging responsible alcohol behavior, we host a number of activities each year to increase the public’s awareness of what responsible alcohol consumption looks like.
This year, we have two goals for the month. They are to educate the community about sobriety checkpoints, what they look like and what they are designed to do. Our second objective is to encourage open dialogue between adults and young people and children about not drinking alcohol until at least the age of 18 years and about responsible drinking after age 18 years.
The Department for National Drug Control recently issued the results of a study they conducted amongst students in P5, P6 and M1. Students in 34 public, private and home schools participated. The report indicates that the number of children who use alcohol and drugs tends to increase as they get older. For instance 33% of 12 year olds reported using alcohol compared to 17% of 10 year olds. he DNDC report highlights what we at CADA believe every parent, grandparent and guardian should know about young people and the use of alcohol and drugs. The following statements are taken directly from the report.
Youths who drink are also more likely to be victims of violent crime and sexual assault. They are more likely to have serious problems in school, be involved in drinking-related traffic crashes, and develop problems with alcohol later in life.
To this end, CADA has developed a number of techniques to help parents as they work with their children and young people to ensure they understand the importance of not trying alcohol before the age of 18 years. The role of speaking with children within our sphere of influence about alcohol falls on the shoulders of all responsible adults. It is often a difficult topic to broach and we recommend that several talks take place, not just one big talk. Expect these types of tough questions and more. However don’t shy away from the discussion because you may have to answer these types of questions. This is even more reason to hold the conversation and to encourage an open and honest dialogue about a serious issue that if not prevented could have lasting health implications on the child.