Oxford Central School students Tatiana Santiago, Jaeylnn Miller, Damian Corleto, Michael Hoffmann, Emily Ferreira, Jen Reid, and in front, Zachary Roth, raise awareness about alcohol dangers as part of Alcohol Awareness Month in April.

Part of the Above the Influence Club, the students prepared a media campaign to share with their classmates in honor of the nationally recognized month designated to increase the awareness and understanding of alcoholism, its causes, and effective treatment and recovery. The campaign educated their peers about the dangers of alcohol use and abuse.

This is just one of the many campaigns the club has developed over the last school year. Their motto is “You only live once. So, why waste it being wasted?”

The Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Family Guidance Center of Warren County, has teamed with local schools and organizations to help address underage drinking. They report that adolescents who begin drinking alcohol before age 15 are more than five times as likely to report alcohol dependence or abuse.