Oklahoma drug prevention program focuses on underage drinking

Community leaders in Oklahoma recently announced an initiative to show how valuable youths are and to determine how to best help them, Tahlequah Daily Press reports.

Officials from Tahlequah Bringing Everyone's Strengths Together Community Coalition told the news source that when parents and peers choose to use alcohol and tobacco, children and teens do not always have the best examples to draw from. However, the coalition, which is comprised of educators and health professionals, is sharing strategies and solutions to helps adolescents succeed in life.

The group educates children on the consequences of underage drinking. Furthermore, they teach adults and retailers the local drinking laws, how to control the access to alcohol and the penalties for providing the substance to minors.

Teen boarding schools can help children who use alcohol regularly by offering educational programs designed to correct and improve their behavior.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is used by more young people in the U.S. than tobacco or illicit drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.