May 2007 – Campaign Against Underage Drinking

The Westlake Parent Connection is proud to announce a month-long, multi-faceted community-wide awareness campaign to address underage drinking. In keeping with our vision, we seek to inform and educate parents and other adults who have a vested interest in a healthy and productive community. May is the perfect time to focus on underage drinking – right before the prom and graduation party season.

· Sellers and Servers Seminar – April 10, 2007, 9:30 AM, Westlake City Hall, Speaker:  Kevin Piazza, Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Ohio Investigative Unit. In partnership with the Westlake Chief of Police, this program will educate community alcohol servers and sellers on Ohio law regarding alcohol sales and consumption. Discussion topics will include “how to properly examine ID”, “after-hours sales”, and “a review of current liquor laws”. Attendees will be asked to participate in this awareness campaign by including fact cards with all alcohol sales throughout the month of May.
90 invitations were sent out to all Servers and Sellers in the city of Westlake. Those who attended found the information, as well as the opportunity to network about this issue with other businesses, invaluable. The WPC hopes to expand this program to include the entire Westside Restaurant audience, contact us if you can help with this effort. Contact WPC

· Mock Car Crash - Sponsored by Westlake High School SADD Chapter, May 1, 2007 , Westlake High School Stadium. This event is planned by the SADD students in conjunction with the Westlake Police Department and Metro Health Life Flight. Police, emergency teams and Life-Flight respond to the tragic aftermath of an alcohol-fueled mock car crash. In the past this event, held every other year, was attended by junior and seniors high school students only. The Westlake Parent Connection is partnering with the high school and promoting the event to all community members.
The entire Junior and Senior classes witnessed this powerful presentation. Parents and City Leaders were also invited, read the comments from one Amherst mom who attended. Click here.
Click here for the Crash summary.
Click here to view pictures.

· Community Kick Off –The Mock Car crash will serve as the community-wide public kick-off to the May awareness campaign.
Thank you to Mayor Clough, Representatives from the Westlake City Council, Representatives from the Westlake City School Board, your attendance demonstrates your commitment to this cause.

· Parent Program “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” - May 1, 2007, 7:00 PM , Westlake Porter Public Library, Speaker: Kevin Piazza, Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Ohio Investigative Unit. This will be the Westlake Parent Connection’s final program for the school year. 
Just under 40 parents, coaches and educators heard the strong words of Agent Piazza, it's against the law to serve alcohol to minors, and the consequences can be devastating. Mr. Tim Freeman, WHS Principal, was so impressed with his style he's bringing Agent Piazza back for students next year.

· Business Involvement - The Westlake Parent Connection is the key-note speaker at the Westshore Chamber of Commence annual meeting in March 2007 where we rollout the awareness campaign plan and ask for business involvement. 
Please continue to demonstrate your support for this campaign by displaying your poster, thank you. Together we are sending the message that Westlake is a community that will not tolerate underage drinking.

Community Outreach -
Question and Answer document mailed to over 3300 Westlake Residents.
Campaign Blasts -
Blast 1 - April 30, 2007 - Underage drinking is preventable. Print PDF
Blast 2 - May 7, 2007 - Drinking and driving is not the only danger. Print PDF
Blast 3 - May 14, 2007 - Talking to your kids about alcohol Print PDF
Blast 4 - May 21, 2007 - Facts on teen drinking dangers Print PDF
Blast 5 - May 29, 2007 - Why did the WPC run this campaign Print PDF

Campaign Promotion and Press Coverage
Ad in WHS PTSA Green and White Review - March 2007
Westlake City News - April 2007
Westlake Commentary- April 2007
May is focus month for WPC's push against underage drinking - Westlaker, April 19-25, 2007 Photo
Don't be a party to teenage drinking, Guest Column - West Life, April 25, 2007
Prom season prompting drinking, driving warnings - Sun News, April 26, 2007
Mock car crash drives message home (Front Page photos and article) - West Life, May 9, 2007
Underage Drinking Unacceptable, West Life Opinion, May 16, 2007
A Lesson in Reality (Front Page Photo) - Sun News, May 17, 2007
Parents: Don't be a party to teen drinking, Guest Column - Sun News, May 17, 2007
Officials see dangerous results of teen drinking - Sun News Opinion, May 24, 2007


Display our poster in your store front, click here to view poster, click here and let us know that you want one, and we'll deliver it to you.

What you should know about the

Westlake Parent Connection and the

Parent to Parent Westside Network:

The Westlake Parent Connection is a parent-led 501(c)(3), non-profit organization that educates, communicates and networks with our parenting peers about risky behavior and our youth. We maintain an extensive website (www.westlakeparentconnection.com) visited by upwards of 300 people a month. We have an email “blast” communication list with over 500 members. We are recognized as a community organization that delivers quality parent programming and information.

Our Vision is a community FREE from underage alcohol and tobacco use, illegal drug use and violence by developing an effective parent network that enhances communications and providing education/information on the tough issues facing our youth

We are the founding organization of an eleven-community coalition of parenting groups that share our mission and vision, the Parent to Parent Westside Network (www.parent2parentnetwork.org ).

The Parent to Parent Westside Network (PPWN) is a non-profit coalition of parenting groups that have joined efforts to promote education, communication and networking among our parenting peers on the tough issues facing our children.

The PPWN is a venue for communities (defined as Westside families, homes, schools, and places of worship) to discuss the tough issues that face our youth and seek solutions together. And to give voice to the people who share this healthy vision

The PPWN provides individual and member organizations with: shared advertising of parenting programs, combined volunteer resources, larger audiences, and most importantly a stronger voice and influence in preventing risky youth behavior.

Our children’s social, academic, and athletic lives cross geographic boundaries; therefore we as parents must create our own “connections” with our peers in other cities. The network allows individual parents, schools or parenting groups to access quality parenting programming and critical information on the latest risky behavior facing our kids.

Members include individuals and schools from: Amherst, Avon, Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Rocky River and Westlake. Network organizations include the Amherst Parent Connection, Bay Advocates, Community Challenge, Fairview Park Community Challenge, Rocky River Coalition for Youth Asset Development and Westlake Parent Connection.