Youth Substance Abuse Prevention

Botvin Life Skills Alcohol Prevention Program

The damaging effects of alcohol and underage drinking can be devastating both in the short and long term. If you are caught drinking as a minor, you could be suspended and even kicked out of school. Many youth do not realize that drinking can lead to date rape, unwanted pregnancies, STDs, jail, brain damage and/or death. The average age that youth start drinking is 14; therefore, it is crucial to educate them early on the consequences of underage drinking.

The Botvin Life Skills program is currently being implemented in New Castle County for youth who are in the sixth grade. This 15 hour, alcohol prevention curriculum is taught in schools, after school programs and at the 4-H office. This program has been proven to reduce alcohol consumption in youth by 75%, and its effects last for up to six years (Life Skills, manual one, p.1.5).

The Youth Alcohol Prevention Advisory Board meets at least once a month at the 4-H office to discuss alcohol prevention within the local community. If you are 13 or older and would like to get involved in some of the prevention projects, contact:

Rhonda Martell
Sussex County Cooperative Extension
16483 County Seat Highway
Georgetown, DE 19947
Phone 302.856.7303
Fax 302.856.1845
E-mail NCC 4-H

The Botvin Life Skills Program is funded by a grant from the Office of Highway Safety in Dover.

NCC Home | 4-H & Youth | Youth Substance Abuse Prevention

It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin.