The Coalition's Parents Who Host Committee successfully completed its annual letter campaign entitled "Parents Who Host Lose the Most."  The campaign reminds parents to be vigilant especially as prom and graduation season approaches and that teens are still legally underage. 

Parents and students from the Birmingham Bloomfield area gathered March 25^th at the Academy of the Sacred Heart’s Cyber Café in Bloomfield Hills to stuff and mail nearly 4,500 letters signed by local police chiefs and addressed to parents of all high school juniors and seniors in the Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills public schools as well as Marian, Brother Rice, International Academy, Roeper, Academy of the Sacred Heart, Detroit Country Day and Cranbrook.  The Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition is sponsoring the campaign.  This is the 6^th year the Coalition has participated with other Oakland county coalitions in sending this important message to parents in their respective communities.

Laurie Blume, a parent of a senior at the International Academy and a freshman at Groves High School, says "Parents can never have too much information regarding the issues involved with hosting parties and the whole teen drinking/drug scene.  If parents are provided information DIRECTLY from the local police departments, this might help to prevent some unfortunate outcomes for parents and teens alike."  Blume added, “Being a rep on the Coalition’s Parents Who Host Committee has really given me some 'inside scoop' as to what really goes on in the community, and I try to spread the word."

The letters are being mailed in Police Department envelopes.  “I would like to emphasize that law enforcement is counting on parents to do their job and not encourage, or turn a blind eye to underage drinking parties,” explains Bloomfield Township Police Chief Kirt Bowden.   “Besides being illegal, hosting an underage drinking party opens you up civil litigation if anything goes awry at the event.  Underage drinkers are apt to make poor decisions that can affect the rest of their young lives...they need the guidance of responsible parents,” Chief Bowden concludes.

According to Carol Mastroianni, the Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition’s executive director, “This time of year poses many temptations for teens.  Parents should be reminded that vigilance is an effective way to reduce underage drinking.  They are the most effective and powerful resource that this community has.”