A drive thru window at a liquor store - No way!

Do you think a drive thru window at a liquor store would be convenient for you?  Imagine how much more convenient it would be for our young people to obtain alcohol without consequence. We do not need a drive thru liquor store in the city of Springfield.

A special permit request for a drive thru window at a Cottage Street liquor store came before the City Council on Sept. 27 and was sent to committee for further review. We can't sit idly by and let this go forward. City Councilors Melvin Edwards and E. Henry Twiggs have spoken publicly against the measure, and are rallying the support of others. We have to contact our City Councilors and speak out against this before any measures move forward. For contact information for your local City Councilor click here. People need to understand that increased access to alcohol for adults leads to increased access by our youth.

Statistics have shown that alcohol is more of a health risk to young people than drugs.  Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by high school seniors, and its use is increasing.

Let's not make it easier for youth in
Springfield to access alcohol.

According to an American Medical Association report, boys usually try alcohol for the first time at just 11 years old, while the average age for American girls' first drink is 13. In short, the report says, our nation's youth are "flirting with disaster." Consider the facts:

• Underage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes, the leading cause of death among teens.
• Alcohol use contributes to youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries.
• Alcohol abuse is linked to two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students
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• Alcohol is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other transmitted diseases.

Although we have mandatory compliance checks on liquor sales to minors in Springfield, the compliance rate has been around 75 percent, which is poor. This means that 1 in 4 stores have failed to even ASK a minor for identification.

"Needless to say, the bar is low to pass the checks," Peggy Vezina, coordinator of the Springfield STOP ACCESS campaign, has said. "All the store clerk needs to do is ask for an ID. Once they do, the check is over and the store has passed. How much more difficult will it be to judge the age of or intoxication level of a person in a car? How much more difficult will it be to judge the age of other occupants in the car? How much more difficult will it be for investigators to enforce the law?"

The Mason Square Health Task Force, the Weed and Seed Initiative and Gandara Mental Health's STOP ACCESS Springfield is among several groups here fighting to decrease alcohol access to youth in the Mason Square area and Springfield. Please join us in this effort.

Access to resources makes a world of difference

One name, two fates.

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan

This quote reminds me of the story of Wes Moore, a Rhodes scholar, a White House fellow and a business leader who overcame the odds to succeed.

Moore wrote a biography, "The Other Wes Moore," released in April, about his experiences growing up in inner city Baltimore, raised by a single mom who worked tirelessly to use the resources around her to give him greater access to education and opportunity.

That's one side to the story. The book is also about the other Wes Moore, a man who grew up in the same neighborhood, around the same time, with the name name, who ultimately was convicted of murdering a police officer during a robbery attempt. He is in prison for life without parole. This Wes Moore had a strong mother too, but while she was working to support the family, her sons - ages 11 and 12 at the time - began dealing drugs. This mother has publicly said she didn't know where to go for help, didn't know what resources were available to her sons, and she wished she had done things differently.

This story is not entirely unique.  Here in Springfield, we have youth who grow up in the same community, under similar circumstances, yet make extremely different choices. Often, the reason behind their divergent paths is one person having access to community programs, resources, opportunities and support programs, while the other one does not.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is an agency working alongside so many others to improve the quality of life for our youth and adults here. We want our youth to lead productive lives like the first Wes Moore, whose book became an instant New York Times best-seller. 

In our efforts to continue to inform you about the array of services provided to residents in our community, we are putting together the Mason Square Resource Initiative, a comprehensive directory for substance abuse, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery support for youth, families and adults.

We are seeking submissions about your programs with your name, contact information, location, and other relevant material for placement in the guide. The guide will be posted on the Mason Square Health Task Force website and updated routinely. Please send information to Govan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org.

To learn more or to purchase a copy of the book visit the author's website at http://theotherwesmoore.com.)