Power of You(th) Winner Performs for Fellow Classmates
By
MADD
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May 24, 2012
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Filed in:
Underage Drinking
Yesterday, this year’s Power of You(th) video contest winner, Christian Alvarez, performed for his fellow students at Southeast High School in Bradenton, Florida. After performing the rap that he wrote for the contest, he reminded them that they have the power to stop underage drinking.
MADD National President Jan Withers also addressed the teens, telling them the story of her 15 year old daughter, Alisa, who was killed by an underage drunk driver 20 years ago. But the dangers of underage drinking go beyond just drunk driving, she reminded students. Whether teens are experimenting with beer, wine, or other liquor, alcohol presents a serious—and potentially deadly—threat. Compared with non-drinking classmates, teens who drink are more likely to:
- Die in a car crash
- Get pregnant
- Flunk school
- Be sexually assaulted
- Become an alcoholic later in life
- Take their own life through suicide
Despite these risks, alcohol is the drug most commonly used by youth—more than tobacco and more than marijuana or any other illicit drug. It’s also the deadliest. Teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined. Bottom line: underage drinking is dangerous, not to mention illegal.
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Jan Withers and Michal Connolly from State Farm, with Christian Alvarez, the grand-prize winner for The Power of You(th) Video Contest.
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Congratulations to Christian for winning this year’s grand prize! And a big thanks to State Farm for sponsoring this important project.
View all of the winning Power of You(th) videos.
Announcing the Power of You(th) video contest winners
By
MADD
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May 17, 2012
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Filed in:
Underage Drinking
We are excited to announce the winners of our Power of You(th) video contest. We received many great entries, so selecting the top five was very difficult.
We hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did!
Video contest winners:
- Christian Alvarez (grand prize winner): age 16, from Bradenton, FL
- Austin Baltierr: age 18, from North Port, FL
- Cory Krakowsky: age 17, from Westwood, MA
- Nikelle Kelly: age 17, from Bradenton, FL
- Will Banks: age 16, from Southampton, NY
We would also like to announce five additional members of MADD’s first-ever National Teen Influencer Group, who were selected from nominations submitted by MADD, MADD partners and State Farm employees and volunteers:
- Tom Balke: age 18, from Edina, MN
- Renee Brown: age 17, from Lexington, KY
- Sarah Haiken: age 13, from Melville, NY
- Tucker Lehman: age 15, from Algonquin, IL
- Melissa Stegner: age 17, from Clifton, VA
All 10 teens have secured a spot in MADD’s National Teen Influencer Group and an all-expenses-paid trip to MADD’s National Office in Dallas for a National Teen Influencer Summit in late June 2012. The grand prize winner of the Power of You(th) video contest, Christian Alvarez, will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to be recognized during MADD’s National Conference in September 2012. In addition, both the grand prize winner and the four other video contest winners have won an iPad 2.
Congratulations to all the winners!
New Data Showing that a Quarter of Teen Drinkers Get Alcohol from a Parent or Family Member
By
MADD
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April 17, 2012
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Filed in:
Power of Parents
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Underage Drinking
Underage drinking is not only a problem for our youth; it’s an adult problem too. More than half of teens who drink are getting their alcohol from adults. According to the most recent SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the following is a ranking of the top five ways teen drinkers get their alcohol:
This Saturday, April 21st, is PowerTalk 21 day, the national day to talk with your kids about alcohol. MADD wants to equip all parents and caregivers with the tools to help them start this potentially lifesaving conversation. In preparation for PowerTalk21, parents can get tips and conversation starters, download the parent handbook and find a free 30-minute parent workshop at www.madd.org/powertalk21.
PowerTalk 21—the National Day for Parents to Talk with their Kids about Alcohol
By
MADD
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April 13, 2012
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Filed in:
Power of Parents
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Underage Drinking
PowerTalk 21 day—April 21st—is the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol, and MADD wants to equip all parents and caregivers with the tools to help them start this potentially lifesaving conversation. MADD’s Power of Parents™ handbook, developed by MADD and Pennsylvania State University’s Dr. Robert Turrisi, provides guidance for talking with teens about the dangers of drinking before age 21, and is based on research proven to reduce underage drinking by up to 30 percent. Download a copy of the handbook here, free of charge.
Teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year, more than all other illegal drugs combined. However, research shows that there’s a disconnect when it comes to underage drinking: one out of five teens binge drinks, but only one in 100 parents thinks their child binge drinks.
The good news is that you can make a difference! Parents have the power to help teens make healthy decisions that can keep them safe. In fact, research shows that parents are the primary influence on their kids’ decisions about whether or not to drink alcohol.
Not a parent? Help MADD and its national program partners prepare parents to talk with their teens about alcohol on PowerTalk 21 day and beyond. Visit www.madd.org/powertalk21 to get a free toolkit to promote PowerTalk 21 day, request a free parent handbook, host or find local 30-minute parent workshops and much more.
Start talking on April 21st, and together, we can help prevent underage drinking and save lives!
