Monissalyn Iguel, of Kagman High School, and Presiding Judge Robert Naraja were among the participants of a three-day training on enforcing underage drinking laws.
“Avoiding teenage drinking develops leadership, self-esteem, and an individual becomes more independent from peer pressure,” said Iguel, the secretary of Take Action Youth Advocacy, or TAYA.
“There is no doubt that we should take action to address underage drinking. Religion and values should further be strengthened at homes to have a high-standard of respect,” Naraja said.
Community Guidance Center’s TAYA coordinator Becky Robles said she’s “learning how to get the message” across through media advocacy.
Different stakeholders attended the training being held at the Pacific Islands Club.
“Underage drinking is a major issue in the CNMI and we must unite as a community to help prevent underage drinking, enforce underage drinking laws, and keep our youth safe,” said Jerome Ierome, executive director of the Criminal Justice Planning Agency.
He said “enforcing underage drinking laws program is fairly new in the CNMI…. The training will encompass all areas from law enforcement to youth, media, and community involvement in the enforcing of underage drinking laws in the CNMI.”
On Monday, the participants heard lectures from Mary V. Gordon, program director of the Center for Public Health Improvement and Innovation in Maryland, and Sgt. Scott Friedlein of the Illinois Police Department’s alcohol enforcement unit.
About 43.6 percent of students indicated having had at least one drink of alcohol on at least one day during the 30 days before survey was conducted, according to 2005 Youth Risk Behavior survey that involved ninth to 12th grade students in the CNMI.
Forty percent were male, while 47.6 percent were female.
Twenty-seven percent of the respondents indicated having had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row — within a couple of hours, or at least one day during the 30 days before the survey.
