Local notables to teach kids
about alcohol’s harm

Elected officials, University of Hawaii coaches and singer Jasmine Trias will appear in public school classrooms next month, teaching fifth-graders the harmful effects of alcohol.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and University of Hawaii men's basketball coach Riley Wallace are among those who have volunteered to participate in teach-ins organized by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

As of yesterday, 25 island schools had signed up for the teach-ins, scheduled for May 2-12, said Russell Pang, spokesman for Aiona, who is a member of the federal agency's National Advisory Council.

To combat alcohol abuse by young teens, the federal agency teamed up with Scholastic Inc. on the Reach Out Now initiative to educate fifth- and sixth-grade students nationwide with a program that includes teach-ins in every state.

The government provides materials to teachers to educate youngsters, before they become teens, about the dangers to young bodies associated with drinking alcohol.