MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake Mayor Bill Ecret and the city council proclaimed the month of April Alcohol Awareness Month for Moses Lake.

Ecret presented members of the Moses Lake Community Prevention Coalition, including coordinator Carolyn Pence, with a proclamation certificate at this week's council meeting.

"As the Mayor, I also call upon all citizens, parents, governmental agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, hospitals, schools and colleges in Moses Lake to support efforts that will reduce stigma, increase community awareness and increase support for individuals and families coping with alcoholism," Ecret wrote.

Ecret added Grant County and Moses Lake has a problem with underage drinking. According to the 2012 Healthy Youth Survey, more than 60 percent of high school seniors in Grant County report ever having drank more than a sip of alcohol.

The City of Moses Lake joins the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Grant County Prevention and Recovery Center and the Moses Lake Community Prevention Coalition to spread awareness about underage alcohol use.

The city received a $115,000 grant last year to enforce underage drinking laws in the community. The city is one of four communities in Washington state selected to participate in the program funded by the state Department of Social Health and Health Services division of Behavioral Health and Recovery.

For more information about joining the Community Prevention Coalition, contact Pence at 509-765-5402.