Have a Power Talk with Teens April 21

Three out of four youth say their parents are the No. 1 influence on their decisions about drinking. To encourage discussions about alcohol use between parents and youth, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has launched PowerTalk 21 day, which will be observed on April 21. It's the first national day for parents and teens to start a conversation about alcohol. Tips on how to do it and what you might say are in a free handout and handbook.

Encourage parents in your coalition and in your community to visit madd.org/powerofparents to request a free copy of MADD’s parent handbook, a research-based program developed for MADD’s "Power of Parents, It's Your Influence" program that has been shown to significantly reduce underage drinking and associated risks when parents use it to talk with their teens about alcohol.

While parents will vary in how they handle the details of the PowerTalk 21 discussion, the best policy, MADD says, is to get teens to agree to:

• No drinking before age 21.

• No socializing in places where teens are drinking.

• No riding in a car with an underage driver who's had any amount of alcohol.

Here are some ways you can engage parents in your coalition and community around PowerTalk 21 day:

1.) Declare PowerTalk 21, April 21, the day your coalition, community, and family will focus on talking about alcohol.

2.) Distribute electronic or printed copies of the PowerTalk 21 handout with conversation starters about alcohol for teens and parents.

3.) Refer people to the parent handbook.

4.) Gather parents and contact your local MADD affiliate to facilitate a free, 30-minute parent workshop where parents will receive a free parent handbook. Visit madd.org to find a local affiliate.

5.) Learn about how you can implement MADD’s parent program, Power of Parents, in your community. Contact MADD for information on facilitator trainings 1-800-GET-MADD.

April Aims to Curb Underage Drinking

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition (MCADC) is working to highlight April’s “Alcohol Awareness Month” through a new media campaign designed to curb underage drinking. The MCADC, with the help of local teens, is launching a new campaign “Not Everyone Is Doing It” on April 4 as part of Alcohol Awareness Month. The campaign is designed to prevent and discourage underage drinking.

The new campaign will highlight the old adage “Not Everyone Is Doing It” to remind youth that saying no to underage drinking is the popular choice as 7 out of 10 Marshall County teens do not drink, according to the 2010 Pride Surveys administered in local schools.

The campaign was completely designed by local teens. Cameron High School students chose the slogan. The commercial was designed and produced by John Marshall High School students in the Broadcast Department’s Video Editing class.

As part of their class assignment, 8 John Marshall students developed the concept, acted, taped, edited, and produced a 30 second commercial for the campaign. The class includes; Josh Hancock, Kelsey Kolinski, Carly Lucas, Jen Pequla, Thomas Stackhouse, Haley Wade, Austin Wright, Ryan Zacherl, and the class instructor Tony Wood.

The MCADC is working with Cameron High School, John Marshall High School, Sherrard Middle School and Moundsville Middle School to distribute the “Not Everyone Is Doing It” campaign’s promotional material. Each school will be hanging up posters, placing mouse pads in computer labs, and giving away t-shirts to students. All materials highlight the campaign slogan “Not Everyone Is Doing It…7 out of 10 Marshall County Teens Don’t Drink.”

The commercial will begin airing on April 4 on WTRF TV-7, Comcast Cable, and WJMH Channel 1. The commercial is part of the overall media campaign that also features billboards displayed in Marshall County.

The MCADC is a non-profit organization working to make Marshall County a safe and drug-free community. For more information on substance abuse prevention or the MCADC, please contact (304) 845-3300 or visit www.marshallcountyfrn.com. This campaign is paid for with Federal Drug Free Communities Funds. The Marshall County FRN is the grantee agency for Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition.