The Delaware Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking and Alcohol-Related Issues was held Thursday, Oct. 19 in Clayton Hall. Close to 300 educators, alcohol and drug abuse counselors, members of the health care profession and concerned citizens turned out to learn more about how these problems can be resolved in Delaware.

Sponsored by UD, the National Issues Forum and the Delaware Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the day included a talk by Bobbie Jo Fenske, a senior at Smyrna High School, who was the state's delegate to MADD's National Youth Summit held recently in Washington. Fenske reported on the recommendations made at the conclusion of the summit which include requiring all states to have electronic age verification strips on driver's licenses, an increase in the tax on alcohol revenues, a national media campaign against underage drinking and a ban on all television advertising of alcohol before 10 p.m. and a requirement that every ad include a warning against alcohol use.

Keynote speaker was Ruth Sanchez-Way, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in Washington, who commended UD for its progressive efforts to end underage and binge drinking.

The program opened with a videotaped welcome from U.S. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. who used the occasion to release a new senate report on "Excessive Drinking on America's College Campuses."

Those attending the conference also were able to hear panelists and speakers and participate in discussion groups run by the National Issues Forum on the topic "Alcohol: Controlling the Toxic Spill."