In connection with Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31, 2012), Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) Connecticut is partnering with North Haven School District to distribute its newest tool to prevent underage drinking, a booklet called The 411 on Teen Drinking. The booklet is part of MADD’s Power of You(th) program, which empowers teens to resist peer pressure and influence other teens to make smart decisions about alcohol, thanks to national presenting sponsor State Farm Insurance®. In addition, MADD’s second Power of You(th) National Teen Video Contest is currently open and encourages teens to create a short video that illustrates the power that youth have to take a stand against underage drinking.
“MADD Connecticut is excited to be teaming up with North Haven School District to help keep our youth safe from the dangers of underage drinking, since underage alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year,” said Allison Champlin, MADD Connecticut. “Teens have more power than they might think when it comes to saying no to alcohol, and it’s our hope that this booklet and video contest will help them realize that power, especially during Red Ribbon Week.”
The 411 on Teen Drinking booklet, which includes research-based information about underage drinking, is the result of input from both experts and everyday teens. As part of the Power of You(th) program, MADD convened its first ever National Teen Influencer Summit this summer, bringing together a group of 10 remarkable teens from across the country to provide their valuable perspectives on both the booklet and video contest. We will be providing the 9th grade students a teen workshop on Monday, November 5th at 9AM.
In addition to the teen-focused resources, MADD is also providing North Haven parents with information for talking with their kids about alcohol during Red Ribbon Week. The Power of Parents handbook, along with 30-minute parent workshops, equip parents with the tools to have frequent, positive, caring family conversations about the dangers of underage drinking. We will be hosting a parent workshop for 9th grade parents on Monday, November 5th at 6:30PM in the school auditorium.
For more information about Power of You(th), to download the teen booklet or to submit a video contest entry, visit www.madd.org/powerofyouth. To get the Power of Parents handbook, visit www.madd.org/powerofparents.