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Steamboat Springs — The Excellence Project, a community collaboration to continually reduce underage drinking, would like to thank everyone who spoke at Tuesday's City Council meeting supporting a social host ordinance for Steamboat Springs. Parents, educators, law enforcement officers, elected officials, health care providers, health and human service organizations, teens and other community members all support this positive and proactive prevention tool.

We would especially like to thank City Council for sending the ordinance to a second reading Oct. 21. The Steamboat Springs City Council has an opportunity to lead by example as the first municipality in Colorado to pass such an ordinance. Craig, Granby and Vail now are considering passing social host ordinances. A variety of social host laws already are in effect in many communities in states across the nation, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. New York is pursuing a statewide ordinance after witnessing the positive outcomes experienced at municipal and county levels.

Decision-makers and citizens around the country increasingly recognize that underage drinking is a serious threat to the health and safety of their communities and are taking steps to reduce it. Support for a social host ordinance reflects a positive shift in our resort community culture regarding underage drinking and demonstrates a strengthening desire for higher standards and healthier lifestyles for our youths. We commend City Council and supportive community members, for moving our community in this positive direction.

City Council member Steve Ivancie challenged our youths to be part of this movement by taking responsibility for their well-being and decision-making. We second that challenge and raise it to the whole community - let's choose to be a community where young people naturally rise to the clear, consistent and healthy standards we set and model for them.

The Excellence Project

Grand Futures Prevention Coalition, Steamboat Springs School District, Steamboat Springs Police Department and Yampa Valley Community Foundation