As spring swings into gear, pivotal moments in adolescent life come into view: prom, graduation, and maybe even a college acceptance letter. It’s a time to celebrate past success and new opportunities, to try new things and let loose. However, for many teens, “letting loose” to celebrate these rites of passage have become synonymous with drinking alcohol—getting drunk for the first time, binge drinking (4 or 5 drinks at one occasion), and driving under the influence. About one-third of teens aged 16 to 19 said it was likely that they or their friends would use drugs or alcohol on prom night. This does not come without consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly one-third of alcohol-related teen traffic fatalities occur between April and June, the peak of prom and graduation season. The costs associated with underage drinking are over $52 billion per year. Celebrating rites of passage with alcohol should not be the norm. This month, during national Alcohol Awareness Month, McKinley Park focuses on changing the norms surrounding adolescent rites of passage and alcohol use. The McKinley Park Underage Drinking and Other Substances Prevention Coalition (McK-UDOS) will host talks at Pickard Elementary and Columbia Explorers Academy schools to highlight the dangers of adolescent drinking during these important moments. Lee Roupas, Manager of the Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training (BASSET) Program at the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), will speak about the harms associated with experimentation with alcohol and binge drinking. For more information, visit the McKinley Park Underage Drinking and Other Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, at www.mckinleypark.news.