Needham residents will be seeing a new face around town—the face of a teenager appearing on posters designed to raise awareness about substance abuse in the community.

The Needham Coalition for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention is launching a community awareness campaign aimed at spreading the word that parents can make a difference. 

"The mission and vision of the coalition is centered on collaboratively reducing youth substance use in our community with prevention initiatives. One such initiative is to generate awareness regarding the number of Needham High School students who drink alcohol in a typical month," said Carol Read, substance abuse prevention and education coordinator with the Needham Public Health Department. "The good news is that teens are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs if they learn about the risks of drug use from their parents."

At right is an image of the poster that residents will soon begin seeing around town. The campaign encourages parents to "be aware" and to learn more by visiting www.needhamma.gov/substanceabuse.

The poster declares that “36 percent of Needham High School students drink alcohol in a typical month,” according to students’ anonymous responses recorded in the 2010 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. The poster also features a chart that breaks down the numbers by grade. Of the NHS students who drink alcohol in a typical month: 16 percent are in Grade 9, 28 percent are in Grade 10, 49 percent are in Grade 11 and 57 percent are in Grade 12.

"Our hope is that parents will become more aware about teen substance abuse in Needham and will visit the Web site to get the facts and tools to talk to their teen," said Karen Mullen, a member of the Needham Coalition for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention. 

For more information about the coalition and its work in town, visit the Web site above or call 781-455-7500 ext. 259.