Lights on After School raises awareness for afterschool programs

Some local groups will take part in a national effort on Thursday to raise awareness for the need for affordable, quality afterschool programs.

Afterschool programs can be critical, especially for teens, the group says.

On school days, the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex, its website says. Teens who are not in an afterschool programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate. They also are three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and they are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity.