Eleventh annual conference focused on drinking.
MARQUETTE -- "What is the real date-rape drug?" asked keynote speaker Nigel Wrangham to several hundred high schoolers on Tuesday.
"Alcohol," was the prompt reply.
It was one of many subjects regarding alcohol that was discussed at the 11th annual U.P. Youth Conference, where teens from across the peninsula spent the day learning how alcohol abuse can impact their lives.
"I talk about alcohol primarily because it kills more young people than all the other drugs combined," Wrangham said.
The day-long conference featured break-out classes on everything from the social impact of alcohol abuse to self-defense tips for young women, but the main point of the program was to get minors to avoid drinking altogether.
"Wait to make the choice until (the age of) 21 and then you see a huge drop-off in the number of problems," Wrangham said.
It's a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed--statistics show that 74 percent of American teens have consumed alcohol.
At the close of the conference, students put together action plans, which they will bring back to their schools and communities to promote substance abuse prevention and awareness. By having the kids create the plans, organizers are hoping it will get them to avoid alcohol and connect with one another.
"It is all about taking this--the information they've learned this day--and bringing it back home with them," said Merrilee Keller, regional substance abuse prevention coordinator for Pathways.
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