Local Detroit professional athletes are showing their support of youth in our community!

Detroit Tiger Nate Robertson spent time with West Middle School youth in Ypsilanti.  Detroit Lion Mike Furrey visited 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at Willow Run Milddle School.  Both visits are part of Reality Check, a substance abuse prevention program sponsored by Washtenaw County Public Health and the Livingston County Community Alliance.  Through a combination of very compelling programming and community outreach, Reality Check, educates youth on the negative effects of substance abuse in unconventional ways.  

“Incorporating role models like professional athletes will help this program resonate in so many of the students’ minds," shares Sharon P. Sheldon, program manager of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention division of Washtenaw County Public Health.

You are invited to help take a stand against underage drinking.

Do you have a child who is in middle school in Washtenaw or Livingston County? Join other parents who have signed the pledge against underage drinking.

Some important facts to remember:

• Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
• Alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10 to 24: motor-vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide.

Log on to www.myrealitycheck.org and take a stand against underage drinking by signing the parent pledge!