First youth-led community meeting to take place on Thursday, May 17th

Meeting to be held at Milton Public Library

The Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is proud to sponsor its first youth-led community meeting on Thursday, May 17th at 6:30 p.m. at the Milton Public Library. The title of the program is: When One Suffers: We All Suffer. A key note presentation will be provided by Arielle Solomon, a Milton High School senior, who will be followed by a panel of three other high school students. They will be presenting their perceptions about the high rates of depression amongst Milton teens, and how adults might support them.

Arielle Solomon said, “After being given the opportunity to attend, How Not to Keep a Secret, a youth leadership program in which I learned about depression and suicide prevention, I wanted to begin to take action in my community. Since addiction and mental illness go hand in hand, I believe that spreading awareness in the community is essential; in my opinion, the coalition was a great place to start. With the encouragement of the Coalition’s leaders, I decided to take charge and create an event in which parents will have the opportunity to learn about signs and symptoms of depression in youth. With this knowledge, I hope not only to inform but to spread awareness in hopes to reduce stigma within our town.”

Laurie Stillman, MSAPC’s Director said, “The Youth Voice in our town is so important. Adults can learn so much from our teens. The Coalition hopes that Milton residents will attend this meeting in large numbers to show their support for this program and to learn about how to recognize the signs of youth depression.” The meeting is free and open to the public.

For more information:

To learn more about the Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, now 500 members strong, please visit their website at www.milton-coalition.org, where you can join as a member. There is no charge and you will be supporting a great cause.