MADD and State Farm Empower Students to #ProtectUrFuture

In an effort to decrease the devastating consequences, such as teen arrests, injuries and deaths related to alcohol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving^® (MADD) and National Presenting Sponsor State Farm^® are encouraging youth to protect their futures. Teens can take a stand by taking a pledge to not drink alcohol or use other drugs under the age of 21 and to never ride with a driver who’s been drinking or using drugs.

Every October, as part of the Power of You(th)^® program, MADD joins its partners around the country to host school and community events to empower teens to make safe choices. This year’s focus, #ProtectUrFuture, is about how choices about alcohol can impact their future such as, being kicked off a sports team, not be able to attend the college of their choice or lose a college sponsorship and have an arrest on their record. Tragically there are also life-altering consequences such as alcohol poisoning and teen drunk driving.

“The decisions teens make today can impact their lives tomorrow and for years to come,” said MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church, whose 18-year-old son Dustin was killed as a passenger in a crash caused by a teen drunk and drugged driver. “There is an urgent need in our country to address the underage drinking epidemic that causes 4,300 deaths a year, I am grateful to State Farm for helping us save young lives.”

The latest research shows:

• The number of youth drinking alcohol continue to decline since 1991, when the numbers peaked. These have declined by 70 percent, 50 percent and 30 percent for grades 8, 10 and 12. However, six out of every ten students (61 percent) have consumed alcohol (more than a few sips) by the end of high school, and 23 percent have done so by 8^th grade. Monitoring the Future, 2016
• Alcohol was a factor in an average of 492 suicides, 1,269 homicides, 245 reports of death from alcohol poisoning, falls, burns or drowning, and 1,580 deaths from motor vehicle crashes of people under the age of 21 each year from 2006 to 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013
• In 2011, 188,000 people under the age of 21 visited an emergency room because of alcohol related injuries. SAMHSA, 2014
• Research also shows that the earlier a young person begins drinking alcohol the more likely they will become alcohol dependent as adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015
• Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol related crash. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2001

“While we are heartened to see the decline in underage drinking across the nation, it also motivates us to do more,” said Lisa Joyce, State Farm Public Affairs. “We are proud of our support of MADD’s Power of You(th) to educate and protect teens and their futures, so they can fulfill all of their hopes and dreams.”

MADD’s Power of You(th) program equips teens to resist peer pressure and influence their peers to make smart, healthy decisions about not drinking alcohol before they turn 21 and to never getting in the car with anyone who has been drinking. At school events, victims share personal stories, students receive a teen booklet with real-life stories, and learn about powerofyouth.com as an important resource.