Mountain Youth and local law enforcement are working together to prevent underage access to alcohol, reduce impaired driving, and keep our community safe. Working together with restaurants and bars, we are aiming to increase training opportunities that better equip employees to recognize false IDs, better recognize signs of impairment from alcohol and other substances, and reduce over service that can lead to safety concerns. We’re also working together to improve sober transportation options and getting people home safely. These efforts are building better relationships between bars and law enforcement to support each other in keeping our community healthy and safe. One effort to do this is through routine bar checks by officers to normalize the idea that police have a working relationship with establishments. It also helps to set a tone of safety and security for patrons. As one officer reports, “since we have put nightly bar checks into practice we have seen a decrease in all incidents in our bars. Our presence is a calming effect and the bar staff know to call us early before the issues arise.” Additionally, bar checks by law enforcement are a “natural deterrent around fake Id use and underage drinking.” Through these efforts, Mountain Youth, law enforcement, and local restaurants and bars are hoping to see a reduction in underage consumption in establishments, less intoxication by customers, and a reduction in impaired driving in our community. Together, we are working to make our community healthy and safe.
In addition to these efforts, Mountain Youth is working to increase sober activities for youth and adults to help those who want to be social without substances to find a community to connect with. In the coming months, Mountain Youth is working to establish a sober calendar that will help members of our community find sober events. Additionally, Mountain Youth is working with different community partners to create events that do not integrate substances in order to encourage participation by all members of our community. Current sober activities include happy hour yoga offered by Mountain Recreation (free for members, $5 for non-members), $15 Fridays at Eagle Climbing & Fitness that includes entry and rental, and free monthly NamaStay Flowing sessions offered for the community. In the coming months, we are working on more youth driven events, community art events, and a screening of the Sober & Stoked Documentary: The 6 Gifts on December 9, 2019. For ongoing support, the NamaStay Sober program offers gym memberships to those who have been in recovery for at least 3 months and who do not have the financial means for a gym membership. The program helps those in recovery get connected with a healthy community and develop a support network.
Donated gym memberships are still available, please contact Hillary Higgins for more information hhiggins@mountainyouth.org.
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