National Substance Abuse Expert To Speak At TRACs Breakfast Meeting

The local community TRACs (Together Reducing Alcohol and drugs in our Communities) Coalition is hosting a continental breakfast and a presentation on substance use among teens and preteens in our communities on February 4, at the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Berlin from 7 to 8:30 am.
Nationally recognized speaker John Underwood will speak to community leaders about the disturbing increase in illegal drug use and underage drinking among our youth as revealed in a recent Rensselaer County survey. Underwood, a former NCAA All-American, International-level distance runner and World Masters Champion, is internationally known for his work in the prevention of substance abuse among athletes.  He has coached or advised more than two dozen Olympians including World and Olympic Champions, and he is the Master Trainer for the New York Public High School Athletic Association drug prevention program which is one of the largest mandated programs in prevention history.
Underwood will address the substance abuse issues in our communities, provide some recommendations for improving the situation and discuss access to funding to assist the efforts. He will be joined by Berlin Central High School students who will discuss their own observations about drug and alcohol use in the school and community.
TRACs hopes that representatives from every town council, youth commission, church, sports organization, law enforcement agency, library, fire department and community organization will make the time to attend this important presentation. For more information or to register to attend, please call 733-6488.