This afternoon during the Osceola County Commissioners meeting, Chairwoman, Cheryl Grieb, presented a proclamation to Thomas Griffin, founder of The Transition House Inc., proclaiming April 2019 as Alcohol Awareness Month in Osceola County.

Alcoholism can have a devastating effect on children, families, relationships, and the overall quality of life within a community. It can lead to an increase in domestic violence and can even be a contributing factor in crime rates. The Transition House Inc.. focuses on creating increased awareness of the negative effects of alcoholism and that there is an entire continuum of care that addresses all of the dynamics that come from addiction, whether that be alcoholism or drug dependence.

Did you know that lowered rates of alcohol use for adolescents are associated with a supportive family environment?  Kids who have conversations with their parents and learn about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50 percent less likely to use alcohol and drugs than those who don’t.

Alcohol Awareness Month helps educate citizens about the use of alcohol and alcoholism. Sadly, excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year as alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States. More than 1.6 million young people were reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year? Educating the community especially high school students about the dangers of underage drinking is something The Transition House Inc. does during the month of April, which is also Prom Month in Osceola County.

The Transition House Inc. was founded by Thomas Griffin in 1993, in St. Cloud, Florida, which began as a halfway house, providing substance abuse treatment and transitional housing for men. The goal of The Transition House Inc. was to assist homeless men with alcohol or drug abuse diagnoses and to prepare them for their return to society as productive and self-sustaining members of the community. The Transition House Inc. continues today with the same goal but is able to provide much more by assisting homeless veterans on their way to recovery along with providing therapy services for children, adolescents, and adults who deal with mental health issues and addiction.

During Alcohol Awareness Month all citizens, parents, governmental agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, hospitals, schools and colleges in Osceola County are encouraged to support efforts that will provide early education about alcoholism and addiction and increase support for individuals and families coping with alcoholism in order to provide “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow” for those in our community who are facing challenges with alcohol use and abuse.

For more information on The Transition House Inc. please visit https://thetransitionhouse.org/.