UPDATED: Township's Municipal Alliance Launches New Website, Plans More Activities

The Bernards Township Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse has launched a redesigned website, at the same time the organization is planning neighborhood coffees in April and another presentation on underage drinking in March.

The redesigned website has information on the coalition’s programs, as well as offering parent survival tools and provides users with other resources to help keep students free from substance-abuse.

A major initiative of the alliance is the "It's 21 For a Reason" program. A public presentation on the program is next scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, at the Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. The program was rescheduled from Feb. 2 due to inclement weather.

The alliance, with members from a cross-section of the community, will be focusing on the theme of "It's 21 for a Reason" throughout the year, said Township Committeeman John Carpenter, who also is chairman of the municipal alliance.

Although the use of prescription and illegal drugs also is an issue among local youth, "The main problem is alcohol, far and away, and we are focused on that," Carpenter said.

In late October, the Municipal Alliance sponsored a presentation Ph.D.,a motivational speaker who employs humorous and entertaining stories about his own life to help parents and youth understand the impact of alcohol and drug use.

Bellace's presentation kicked off the Alliance's new campaign. He also spoke about the effects of these substances on the brain and emotions and explored the options for enjoying life without relying on addictive substances to enhance the experience.

Carpenter said the alliance has been getting out the message that the younger a person is when they begin drinking, the more likely they are to later develop an alcohol abuse problem. The alliance also points out other aspects of illegal drinking, including legal ramifications and physical and emotional impacts on adolescents, he said.

The alliance recently has delivered that message to the Oak Street School Parent-Teacher Organization and the Ridge Youth Sports Foundation, he said.

Neighborhood coffees are being planned for April, Carpenter said.

The alliance members, who meet in a public meeting at the on the first Tuesday of each month, except for July and August, include representatives from the township Board of Health, law enforcement, parents, clergy and others, he said.

Earlier this year, the alliance added to its membership to provide additional insight to the coalition and its approach.

Caitlin Murphy, a junior at Ridge High School, in early December  to the Alliance and a letter to Basking Ridge Patch.com about her passion for raising awareness about teen drug and alcohol abuse.

The Bernards Township Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse was appointed by the Township Committee in 1991 with a mission to provide consultation, programs, training and resources to members of the community. Its goal is to prevent and reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

The three main goals of the Bernards Township Municipal Alliance are:

• To educate about the damaging and addictive effects of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

• To support events and programs, which provide healthy alternatives to substance abuse.
• To create a community-wide presence in the identification of problems and in designing solutions.

Additional information is available on the website.