April is Alcohol Awareness Month: MADD Power of Parents

From MADD - Power of Parents

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, which is one of the reasons why we chose April 21^st as PowerTalk 21 day, the national day for parents and teens to talk about alcohol.
Of all the dangers teens face, underage drinking is among the worst. 

Compared with non-drinking classmates, teens who drink are more likely to:

• Die in a car crash
• Get pregnant
• Flunk school
• Be sexually assaulted
• Become an alcoholic later in life
• Take their own life through suicide

The longer a teen waits to start drinking, the safer he or she will stay.  Both parents and teens can be part of the solution.

Parents play an important role in a teen’s decision to drink.  In fact, 74% of teens say their parents are the number one influence on their decision to drink.

MADD knows that informed, caring parents can make a difference, and we’re here to help.

Download the latest version of the Power of Parents handbook for tips and tools to help you start the potentially lifesaving conversation about alcohol with your teens.  And, we are giving away an iPad to one lucky parent who downloads the handbook during April.  You can also find additional tips and expert resources at madd.org/powerofparents.

We also have a Power of You(th) booklet available.  This research-based booklet for teens helps you take a stand against underage drinking, for both yourself and your friends.
Together, we can prevent underage drinking and help teens meet their full potential.

Learn more at www.madd.org.

The Cool Spot: Helping Young Teens Resist Peer Presure

Info for Parents and Teachers

The Cool Spot was created for kids 11-13 years old by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The NIAAA is the lead U.S. agency supporting research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of alcohol problems. It is a component of the National Institutes of Health, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The content of The Cool Spot is based on a curriculum for grades 6-8 developed by the University of Michigan. The curriculum was created for the Alcohol Misuse Prevention Study (AMPS), a large-scale project supported by NIAAA.

One goal of AMPS was to give young teens a clearer picture about alcohol use among their peers. Teens tend to overestimate how much kids their age really drink. When they learn more accurate information, some of the pressure to drink can subside. Other goals of AMPS were to help kids learn skills to resist pressure to drink and to give them reasons not to drink. The Cool Spot incorporates AMPS goals in these and other features:

• Reality Check quizzes kids about how much drinking is really going on in the U.S. The answers, which often surprise kids and adults alike, are based on results of the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
• Deep Digging is a simple but powerful page that depicts why using alcohol as a solution to problems, or a way of trying to cope, is trouble.
• Peer Pressure Bag of Tricks presents animated scenes that invite kids to identify some common peer pressure “tricks.” It also lets kids know that spotting these tricks is the first step to resisting them.
• Know your No’s is an activity that introduces kids to a variety of ways to say no, and helps them learn which one is the most effective.

Compliance

The Cool Spot is compliant with the requirements outlined in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) which limits the collection of personal information of children under the age of 13, as well as Section 508, which requires Federal agency web sites to be accessible to people with disabilities.
For more information on these requirements please visit

• www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm
• www.section508.gov

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

NO KIDDING, KIDS ARE ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THEIR PARENTS WHEN IT COMES TO TALKING ABOUT UNDERAGE DRINKING   

Parents are the Leading Influence in a Kid’s Decision to Not Drink Alcohol

In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, The Century Council, the leading national not-for-profit funded by distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, released new survey results today which reveal that parents continue to be the leading influence on their kid’s decisions to not drink alcohol.  Additionally, the survey demonstrates when it comes to talking about underage drinking, kids are actually listening to their parents when they discuss this serious, important, and sometimes awkward topic.

According to the research, parental influence with regard to underage drinking has increased significantly over the past 10 years.  Today, 83% of youth ages 10-18 years old, cite parents as the leading influence in their decision to not drink at all, or not to drink on occasion, which is up 28% proportionally from 2003. Parents rank significantly higher than friends/peers and teachers which tied for second as the leading influence on their decisions about drinking at 33%.  Rounding out the top six influencers are; punishment (28%), brothers and sisters (24%) and law enforcement (23%).

“Contrary to popular belief the survey shows that parents do have a strong influence over their kids when it comes to underage drinking,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Century Council.  “Over the last 20 years, The Century Council has produced and provided educational tools and resources to parents, teachers, kids, coaches and other influencers to help make the conversation about underage drinking between parents and kids easier and more effective.

Our Ask, Listen, Learn program is the most widely distributed underage drinking youth educational program of its kind in the country.  While we cannot take sole credit for the improvement in conversations between caregivers and kids over the past nine years, we are thrilled to see the message to say no to underage drinking is resonating with kids.”

Risk of Underage Drinking is Resonating with Kids

Today’s survey indicates significant improvement in the effectiveness of conversations between caregivers and kids on the topic of underage drinking since first examined in 2003. A decade ago, research showed a disconnect between kids and parents on the topic of underage drinking.  In 2003, only 26% of youth reported their parents or grandparents had spoken to them four or more times in the past year about the dangers of drinking alcohol, while 49% of parents reported to have spoken with their children.

According to the new research, parents are talking to their kids about underage drinking and they are listening.  Nearly half of parents surveyed (46%), reported talking with their 10-18 year-old son or daughter four or more times in the past year about the dangers of underage drinking, and a nearly equal number (42%) of youth ages 10-18 reported speaking as frequently with their parents, grandparents, or another adult caregiver on the issue.

Underage drinking often becomes a discussion topic when there is an incident that triggers the conversation.  According to the latest study, the top three conversation starters for parents and youth today are:  (1) a tragedy reported in the news (54% parents, 47% kids; (2) something seen on TV or a movie (49% parents, 41% kids) or; (3) someone else getting caught with alcohol or drinking (37% parents, 36% kids).

“Concrete real world examples of problem drinking behavior are excellent places for parents to start a conversation with their kid about drinking. But with or without the perfect lead in, honest discussion of the negative consequences of underage drinking and the benefits of a healthy life style need to happen often and early,” said Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D. clinical psychologist and bestselling author of “I’d Listen to My Parents if They’d Just Shut Up” and “Get Out of My Life, but First Could you Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?”

Additional conversation starters to help parents approach the topic of underage drinking as reported by parents include: curiosity about alcohol (35%); learning to drive/driving the car (34%) and; going to a party or other social outing (33%).  Additional topics youth identify as a trigger to get them and their parents talking about underage drinking are: curiosity about alcohol (31%); going to a party or other social activity (30%); information from school (27%); and curiosity about whether you have friends who are drinking (28%).

Visit www.centurycouncil.org and www.asklistenlearn.com to learn about other activities through the month of April and beyond as we place focus on National Alcohol Awareness Month and continue the work to keep our nation’s youth safe and alcohol free.

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The Century Council

The Century Council, is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Century Council promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol and develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns which ignite action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, The Century Council’s initiatives are highlighted on its website at www.centurycouncil.org and www.asklistenlearn.org.

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About the research

The Century Council contracted Toluna to conduct an online survey of 10-18 year olds and parents of 10-18 year olds living in the same household.  Using one of Toluna’s demographically diverse panels, the survey matched parents of 10-18 year olds and their age appropriate son or daughter at the same time.  A nationally representative sample of 509 parents and 10-18 years was completed February 15-16, 2012.  Toluna is the world’s leading independent online panel and survey technology provider to the global market research industry.  The margin of error among the national sample is + 4.3%.
TRU conducted the May 2003 research among 10-18 year olds and Wirthlin Worldwide (now Harris Interactive) conducted the parent research utilizing their April and May 2003 National Quorum surveys.

Join Ask Listen Learn on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Children of Alcoholics Week 2012

February 12-18 is designated to honor children of alcoholics.


An estimated 25 percent of all children in the United States are affected by or exposed to a family alcohol problem. SAMHSA supports the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) during its Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week. COA Week celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction.

During COA Week, we acknowledge the millions of children affected by a parent’s substance use disorder and celebrate that there is hope and healing for these children now and throughout their lives. This week—and throughout the year—remember to ask, “What about the children?” when speaking about recovery from substance use disorders.

You can support Children of Alcoholics Week 2012 by visiting their site for more information.

About NAcoA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics):

The people hurt most by drugs and alcohol don’t even use them; they are the CHILDREN of alcoholics and other drug dependent parents.

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) believes that none of these vulnerable children should grow up in isolation and without support. NACoA is the national nonprofit 501 (c) 3 membership and affiliate organization working on behalf of children of alcohol and drug dependent parents.

Our mission is to eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families.

• We work to raise public awareness.
• We provide leadership in public policy at the national, state, and local levels.
• We advocate for appropriate, effective and accessible education and prevention services.
• We facilitate and advance professional knowledge and understanding.
To help in these efforts, we:
• have affiliate organizations throughout the country, and in Great Britain, Germany, and Canada
• publish periodic online and print newsletters
• create videos, booklets, posters and other educational materials to assist natural helpers to intervene and support children
• host this site on the Internet with information about and ways to help children of alcoholics and other drug dependent parents.
• send information packets to all who ask, and
• maintain a toll-free phone available to all.

It’s the innocent children (1 in 4 under the age of 18) who suffer when their parents abuse alcohol and other drugs. The worst part is, they can’t help themselves. But you can. Join us in our critical work for these vulnerable children. Email or call us (toll-free) at 1-888-554-COAS to learn more about their daily plight and what small steps can be taken to make a great difference in their lives.

Join them on Facebook.

Global Influence Buzzed Driving St. Patrick’s Day Campaign

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s not the luck of the Irish that will keep the roads safe – it’s planning ahead for a safe and sober way home.

For many Americans, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out for drinking and celebrating with friends and family.  Unfortunately, some of these people might also be driving home from their festivities and therefore, the night out has also become potentially dangerous.

On St. Patrick’s Day 2009, 37 percent of the drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or above, according to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Thank you for offering to help spread the word!  Global Influence members have been helping to change the world for more than two years, and these messages are among the most important.

Let’s remind everyone about the importance of remembering to:

• Plan ahead and designate a sober driver before you leave for your event.
• Be ready to take alternate transportation such as a bus or taxi. Have the phone number of a taxi service stored in your phone before you leave for the party.

Even if you will not be celebrating this St. Patrick’s Day, keep in mind that in 2009, 1,119 occupants of other vehicles were killed in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, so pay attention to others on the road.  And remember, you don’t have to be “falling down drunk” to be too impaired to drive safely. Even a few drinks can impair driving…and a buzzed driving crash has the same consequences as a drunk driving crash.

NHTSA needs your help in keeping the roads safe for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day by spreading the word that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

To learn more about the impact buzzed driving can have on a life, please consider posting the attached poster to your blog or even your Facebook wall. And we can also ask our readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Remember: Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving. Don’t rely on dumb luck this St. Patrick’s Day. Plan ahead and ask your loved ones to do the same.