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Promoting A Safer Community
Even one parent can influence policy makers and enforcement agencies and help assure a safe and healthy environment. MADD urges you to get involved by taking the steps below. Step 1: Support strong laws. Tell lawmakers that you support the 21 minimum drinking age and want to cut off kids' ability to obtain alcohol. Encourage programs that: Require registration and tracking of beer kegs. Support social host laws that penalize adults who host underage drinking parties. Limit new or renewed liquor licenses in your community. Support 21 minimum age purchase laws.
Step 3: Involve educators.
Contact schools in your area and ask what they’re doing to prevent underage drinking. Encourage educators and parent groups to plan school assemblies and activities focused on underage drinking prevention at key points throughout the year, such as Red Ribbon Week, Homecoming, Spring Break, and Prom. Consider providing this handbook to all of the parents in the school. Step 4: Hold advertisers accountable. When you see alcohol marketing that targets young people, complain and push to have that advertising removed.
For more information, visit madd.org/powerofparents. and madd.org/powerofyouth.
Step 2: Push for strong enforcement.
Ask police officials and judges to actively enforce “zero tolerance” laws and programs that fight underage drinking. For example: After an underage drinker has a traffic crash, officials should find out how they got the alcohol and hold those parties accountable. Identify and penalize retailers that illegally sell alcohol to youth. Support sanctions against youth who at - tempt to purchase alcohol or who use fake IDs to purchase alcohol.
Get Behind 21 Numerous studies show the 21 drinking age law has reduced underage drinking and saved thousands of lives.
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