The first event of its kind took place this past Wednesday in Wendover at the initiative of both Wendover Mayor Mike Crawford and West Wendover Mayor Emily Carter. They joined with several key partners throughout the Wendover Community and both Tooele and Elko County to launch this important event, urging local parents to set clear family rules about no underage drinking thereby safeguarding kids during the summer. Local leadership continues to encourage local organizations to join in the fight to keep kids alcohol-free. “As a community, we understand the immediate and long-term value of protecting our youth, and ensuring they grow up free from any level of addiction,” shares Mayor Mike Crawford. “To ensure the safety and wellness of our youth, we need the support of all aspects of the community. Since, underage drinking is a community problem, it requires a community solution.” West Wendover and Wendover City have partnered with ParentsEmpowered—Utah’s underage drinking prevention initiative—to build a community workgroup to promote a message about the negative consequences of teen drinking and what parents can do to prevent it. “We are very proud of the citywide commitment from both the public and private sectors to keep our kids alcohol-free,” shares Emily Carter, Mayor of West Wendover. “We understand the lifelong implications alcohol can have on a developing teen brain, and we aim to ensure all teens grow up free from the potential devastation caused by underage drinking.”
Leadership from Peppermill Casino, Wendover High School, Partners Allied for Community Excellence (PACE), Valley Behavioral Health, West Wendover Police Department and Tooele County Sheriff’s Office joined Wendover and West Wendover Cities to launch the initiative at a press event this past Wednesday, June 15th at Lacombe Baseball Fields. The event was held outdoors on the main baseball field.
As part of the initiative, local law enforcement displaid custom messaging on the sides of their patrol cars that reminds parents of the laws related to keeping kids alcohol-free. “Bottom line, underage drinking is against the law, and for good reasons,” shares Sheriff Paul Wimmer, Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. “We see this initiative as a great opportunity to urge adults not to provide alcohol to kids. We hope parents understand their role to keep kids from consuming alcohol.” In addition to the police car messaging, public service announcements also appeared on garbage trucks, street banners, posters at local recreation centers and at entrances to public schools.
Speakers for the event included: Mayor Emily Carter, from West Wendover; Mayor Mike Crawford, Wendover Utah; Doug Thomas, Director of Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health; Sheriff Paul Wimmer, Tooele County Sheriff Administration; Principal Clint Spindler and student Brenda Bermejo, Wendover High School; and Saul Andrade, Director of Media for Peppermill Resort and Casino. Speakers showcased the campaign, discussed the expected results from the partnership, and answered questions about the concerns related to underage drinking.
ParentsEmpowered is a statewide campaign focused on eliminating underage drinking in Utah. Its primary goals are to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking and provide them with proven skills to help their children remain alcohol-free. More information is available at www.ParentsEmpowered.org.
Steve Wright and H. D. Advocate’s staff.
