First Lady Teaches 6th Graders About Dangers of Alcohol

RHODE ISLAND - In a recent study in Rhode Island Youth Tobacco Survey Data Shows That 17.5% of Rhode Island Middle School Students Report Current Alcohol Use, 9.2% Report Binge Drinking.

Sixth graders at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence learned about the dangers of alcohol abuse and the consequences of underage drinking and how alcohol affects their developing brains. Mrs. Carcieri taught two sixth grade science classes at the school.

Mrs. Carcieri, a former science teacher, is a member of the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a coalition of Governors’ spouses dedicated to the prevention of alcohol abuse among 9-to-15-year-olds.

Roger Williams Middle School is one of hundreds of schools nationwide hosting a "Reach Out Now Teach-In” sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) during the week of April 3 – 7, to educate fifth and sixth grade students, parents, and caregivers about the harmful effects of underage drinking.

"Our children need to have multiple opportunities to interact with people of influence. We cannot underestimate the value of Mrs. Carcieri's visit on the lifelong learning of our youngsters, as they see her as a pattern for themselves, as someone who lived in this area of South Providence. She embodies the American dream for them," said Roger Williams Middle School Principal Roseclaire Bulgin.

According to SAMHSA, 24 percent of males and 13 percent of females surveyed nationally reported first using alcohol before age 15. Age of first use is important because research shows that more than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before age 15 will develop alcohol abuse or dependence at some point in their lives.