The recent proposal from the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to terminate the exclusive contract for importing hard liquor to Maine has put alcohol into the headlines. It has created a conversation about potential unintended impacts that policy change could have on communities in Maine.

One possible impact being discussed is that lower prices for liquor could lead to an increase in underage drinking and alcohol abuse among adults. That was discussed in the Sun Journal editorial Sept.7.

It certainly is a point that merits consideration as lawmakers discuss whether or not to adopt this proposed policy change.

But it is vital that we also have conversations in our communities as well. More importantly, the conversations need to be ongoing.

Underage drinking and alcohol abuse create significant costs to our communities, both financially and socially. Those costs include poor school performance, decreased productivity at work, increased health care costs, and violence.

Progress has been made, as evident in decreasing rates of underage drinking in Androscoggin County. However, there is much more to do. We all have a voice in this conversation.

Healthy Androscoggin is actively engaged in this conversation through our community-based substance abuse prevention task force Project Unite. We have many members of the community at the table looking at this issue and implementing prevention strategies. However, we still have space at the table.

We invite community members to pull up a chair and join the conversation.

Scott M. Gagnon, Lewiston

Coordinator, Drug Free Communities Support Program, Healthy Androscoggin