Sheriff to speak to youth
Carla Gwaltney Owens Sentinel writer

The Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Clay County will be hosting their second annual Town Hall Meeting April 30th at the

Hayesville School Auditorium at 6 p.m. "Keep Our Future Growing, End Underage Drinking" will give area residents an

opportunity to hear about the dangers of underage drinking from several guests invited to speak by the Coalition.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and in conjunction with the nationwide focus on the problems associated with alcohol abuse

the coalition will use the Town Hall Meeting as an opportunity to address the issue of underage drinking locally.

Special guests will include Clay County Sheriff Joe Shook who has made ending underage drinking in Clay County a focus of his

department. Shook will speak from the perspective of law enforcement and share what he and his deputies are doing to stop

drinking by local young peo- ple. Shook will talk bluntly about what will happen if you are caught drinking and are under 21 or

if you are caught supplying alcohol to minors.

"We can't party in this county like we use to because Joe Shook is Sheriff," was a comment shared by one of the members of

the Clay County Coalition at their monthly meeting Monday. The member said this was a comment made by one local youth

concerning the attitude among peers. Shook, who attended Monday's meeting, said that he and his deputies are working hard to

break-up "drinking parties" in long rumored areas of the county where youth have been known to gather to drink.

"You've got to get it across to these teenagers that they can't have these wild, drunken parties," Shook commented. Shook

added that he believes that these drinking parties are being reduced and that statistics are showing a reduction in traffic

accidents in Clay County. Shook said he attributes part of the decrease in both the drinking parties and traffic accidents to the increased patrol of the county's roads. "It's due to the visibility of our officers in marked patrol cars in the county," he commented.

Shook added that the Sheriff's Department is currently working on a written policy governing traffic stops which will help with the prosecution of offenders and strengthen the county's ability to clean-up the alcohol and drug use in the county.

In addition to hearing from Sheriff Shook, guests at the Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Drug-Free Coalition will also hear from Candy Moore, the sister of a young man who died from a drug overdoes. Moore will share her brother's story whose drug abuse started with the use of alcohol when he was young.

Members of Far West Youth Build, a local organization which helps high school drop-outs receive their diplomas and a skilled trade, will also be speaking on the dangers of underage drinking. Members of the local youth organization, who range in age from 16 to 27, will share their personal perspectives of how underage drinking got them into trouble and caused them to make poor choices.

With 18% of profits from alcohol sales coming from underage drinkers, Coalition Chairman Steve Hindsman said that underage drinking is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by every community.

Chairman Hindsman said that although the Coalition is required to hold a town hall meeting each year as part of the grant they receive, the coalition is holding the meeting because they are committed to the prevention of drug and alcohol use.

Hindsman thanked members of the Clay County Coalition at their recent meeting, telling them that all their hard work has paid off as now every other county in Western North Carolina has a Drug-Free Coalition up and running. Hindsman told members that the work done in Clay County has had a direct impact on the fight against drug abuse in the entire Western portion of North Carolina.

Due to the outstanding efforts accomplished in Clay County's fight against drugs, Hindsman said Clay County was noticed by state officials and the $300,000 grant was received.

Hindsman said a summit is being held in Raleigh in June. , Clay County Coordinator Dawn Wilde and Regional Coordinator Lorrie Ross have been invited to attend the 3rd Annual North Carolina Parent Network Conference to be held at Elon College.

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