Why October ?
October , is a time of year when schools around the country encourage young people to pledge to live a drug - free life just in time for homecoming and the holidays . MADD knows that in order to prevent youth from drinking alcohol — the drug most commonly used by youth — we must not only educate teens on the dangers of underage drinking , but also equip parents and adults to talk about alcohol with their kids .
" The brain is not fully developed until the early 20 s , and alcohol can cause long - term damage to a growing brain ."
By engaging youth , parents and the community to collectively enforce 21 as the minimum drinking age and zero tolerance for underage drinking , MADD is working to reduce the deaths and injuries that are a result of this teen epidemic .
What Can I Do ? YOU can partner with MADD during October to influence teen drinking behavior , by providing teens with fun and impactful ways to take a stand against underage drinking and by providing the tools to talk with teens about alcohol .
The Power of Parents
Dr . Robert Turrisi from Pennsylvania State University developed and evaluated a handbook for parents of college students that successfully reduced underage drinking and the associated behaviors among participating college freshman . MADD has partnered with Dr . Turrisi to equip parents with the tools to have potentially lifesaving conversations with their kids about alcohol . This handbook , along with research - based information and resources for parents can be requested at madd . org and is provided to parents during free , 15 and 30 minute parent workshops . madd . org / powerofparents
MADD Power of You(th): Activation Toolkit
Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software