NORWICH – With underage drinking and drug usage on the rise, parents, teachers and community members are stepping up and taking action to ensure their kids will be in good hands this prom season.

The prom, for thousands of high school students across the nation, is a time for celebration and happiness. Unfortunately, prom season is also a time when teenage decision making regarding drinking and other destructive behaviors remains high.

Each year, as reported on by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, roughly 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.