May 6, 2015 (Rochester, NY) ─ The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Rochester Area (NCADD-RA) is partnering with the New York Council on Problem Gambling on the 2015 YOU(th) Decide outreach project. Our primary target audience is youth ages 12-17. Project goals include:

• Increase the awareness of the issue of underage gambling and the importance of decreasing youth access to gambling among parents of school aged youth and community leaders.
• Increase awareness of key media literacy facts.
• Increase youth awareness of the common misperceptions of gambling.
• Increase parental action toward the issue of underage gambling.

During this project, which runs through October 30th, NCADD-RA will be offering, upon request, youth problem gambling media literacy training. Additionally we seek youth/adult teams who want to be involved in advocacy activities in their school or community. Sample policies will be shared with identified youth/adult teams which can be personalized to advocate for gambling free events and/or gambling policies in their school and/or community.

For further information on how you can be involved in effecting policy change in your school’s alcohol, other drug and problem gambling policy contact Jennifer Faringer at (585) 719-3480 or email jfaringer@depaul.org. More information may be found on NCADD-RA’s YOU(th) Decide project and other problem gambling related activities, and resources by visiting our website at www.ncadd-ra.org or specifically https://ncadd-ra.org/programs-services/problem-gambling-prevention-program .

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Rochester Area (NCADD-RA) provides education, resources and referrals for family members affected by the problem gambling of a loved one. Presentations are available upon request to parent, school and community groups to increase awareness to the potential risks of problem gambling with emphasis on the risks associated with underage problem gambling.