White Plains Hospital Sponsors Health Alliance on Alcohol Program to Raise Awareness of Underage Drinking

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y, January 13, 2017 /3BL Media/— Nearly 200,000 teenagers across the country end up in hospital emergency rooms as a direct result of injury or accidents due to underage drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year, they report.

While underage drinking is a concern all year long, overconsumption spikes over the holidays and during school breaks.

According to Erik Larsen, MD, Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Preparedness at White Plains Hospital, “Teen drinking is a very serious issue and the consequences can be dire. We know that children as young as 12 can begin to experiment with alcohol, so it’s important that parents begin these conversations early and model responsible alcohol consumption through their own behavior.”

To increase awareness of underage drinking, and to encourage parents in the community to initiate thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations with their children, White Plains Hospital is sponsoring the Health Alliance on Alcohol, a national public initiative developed in partnership with HEINEKEN USA and the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

Since 2005, the Health Alliance on Alcohol has provided parents, mentors, and community leaders with impactful tools on how to engage teens in honest, fact-based conversations on underage alcohol use and its effects.

According to Dr. Larsen, alcohol seriously impacts teenagers in several ways.

“The young brain is still evolving, so connections are being made and chemistry is forming. Alcohol affects those connections,” he notes. “Besides seriously endangering a child’s health due to over consumption, alcohol can impair activities, like walking and driving, which can cause tragic accidents. There’s also evidence that shows that if you start drinking alcohol as a young person, you are more likely to have adult alcohol dependence problems.”

To support the Health Alliance on Alcohol’s efforts, White Plains Hospital is releasing public service videos on its website and social media channels. In the videos, Dr. Larsen encourages parents to visit www.healthallianceonalcohol.com for helpful guides to get the conversation started. “There are many great resources out there that offer parents talking points to navigate these difficult conversations. It’s best to get started early, and to keep an open dialogue with your children throughout their adolescence,” he advises.

In addition to its Health Alliance on Alcohol program, HEINEKEN USA will partner with The City of White Plains and the White Plains Business Improvement District on the New Year. Safe Ride program to provide free and safe rides home for Westchester County residents of legal drinking age who celebrate New Year’s Eve in downtown White Plains. The Safe Rides transportation stand will be on the corner of East Post Road and Mamaroneck Avenue between 11:00 p.m. on December 31^st and 3:00 a.m. on January 1^st. A dedicated fleet of 30 cars, including at least one that is handicap accessible, will provide complimentary rides home for those 21 and older.

“The safety of our city, and the communities in which we live, work and play, is a priority during the holiday season and throughout the year,” said Tara Rush, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Relations Officer at HEINEKEN USA. “HEINEKEN USA encourages individuals 21 and older to always drink responsibly no matter the occasion. For the 13th year in a row, we are happy to provide our New Year. Safe Ride. program here in White Plains to help ensure that people arrive home safely.”

“Our main goal as a community hospital is to keep the community safe,” notes Dr. Larsen. “By joining together to start these conversations now, hopefully we can help educate parents and teens and promote healthier behavior.”

About White Plains Hospital
White Plains Hospital (WPH) is a proud member of the Montefiore Health System, serving as its tertiary hub of advanced care in the Hudson Valley.  WPH is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. Centers of Excellence include the Center for Cancer Care, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. The Hospital’s Flanzer Emergency Department is the busiest in Westchester County, seeing nearly 57,000 visits a year. White Plains Hospital performs lifesaving emergency and elective angioplasty in its Joan and Alan Herfort, M.D. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Marie Promuto Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.  White Plains Hospital also has outpatient medical facilities in Armonk and New Rochelle.  The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and earned its recognition as a Top Performer for Key Quality Measures® in 2015 and 2013. The Hospital is also an eleven-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation, and received Magnet® designation in 2012 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and in 2016, re-designation.  In 2014 and 2016, White Plains Hospital received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades®, given to only 10% of hospitals nationwide. For additional information, visit http://www.wphospital.org.

About HEINEKEN USA
HEINEKEN USA Inc., the nation's leading upscale beer importer, is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN NV, the world's most international brewer. Core brands imported into the U.S. are Heineken^®, the world's most international premium beer brand, the Dos Equis franchise, the Tecate franchise and Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders. HEINEKEN USA also imports Amstel Light, Newcastle Brown Ale, Red Stripe, Sol, Indio, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands. For the latest information on our company and brands, follow us on Twitter @HeinekenUSACorp, or visit HEINEKENUSA.com.