Donate your Facebook Cover Photo
By MADD | April 11, 2012 | Filed in: General , Power of Parents , Underage Drinking

Only 10 more days until PowerTalk 21, the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol.  MADD wants to equip all parents and caregivers with the tools to help them start this potentially lifesaving conversation.

Will you help us spread the word by donating your Facebook cover photo? All you have to do is:

1. Enable Facebook timeline (if you don’t already have it).
2. Download the PowerTalk 21 cover photo below by right-clicking and saving it.
3. Change the cover photo on your Facebook page. (Read Facebook’s instructions for more information.)

It’s that easy! Thanks for helping us prevent underage drinking and save lives by promoting PowerTalk 21.

Why We're Here: Natalie Evaro
By MADD | April 11, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Power of Parents , Underage Drinking , Victim Services , Victim Stories

On October 18, 2008, the world got a little dimmer when Natalie Evaro died in a drunk driving crash.  Natalie’s family called her Miss Sunshine, because she was always so bright and cheerful, and lit up the room.  Natalie, an honor student, was preparing to start her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University and had dreams of studying abroad. 

Natalie was working at a restaurant and bar with a very “loose” policy on alcohol use.   Despite the fact that Natalie was only 20, her employers saw no issues with allowing Natalie, and the other restaurant staff, to drink alcohol during and after their shifts; they even provided the drinks.  Early in the morning on October 18th, after grabbing a couple of drinks with coworkers after her shift,  Natalie got in her car to drive home to her apartment.  Unfortunately,  she never made it. At 3:30 a.m., only three blocks away from the restaurant, Natalie crashed into a metal utility pole while exiting the highway and was ejected from her car.  She was taken off life support two days later.

Natalie’s parents, Gene and Melissa, were always very open and had many conversations with Natalie and her siblings about the dangers of drugs and alcohol; they never suspected that she had started drinking.  It wasn’t until after the crash that they found out that she had frequently been drinking at work, and then driving home.  It was a shocking realization to her parent because she was a smart girl who knew better than to drink and drive. But they also know that young people are easily influenced by their peers, and that alcohol causes loss of judgment.

The night of Natalie’s crash, she was the only person to drive herself home from the restaurant; all the other employees took cabs, leaving Natalie’s parents to ask, “Why did no one try to stop her?”

There are a lot of factors that contributed to Natalie’s death, including the restaurant that served a minor, her coworkers, manager and owners that did not stop her from driving, and of course, the fatal decision made by Natalie to drink underage and then attempt to drive.

Natalie’s parents now know that just because your child has left the nest, doesn’t mean your job is done, and they want to share Natalie’s story in hopes of making a difference— in hopes of saving even one life. 

When asked what advice they have for other parents, they said, “Communication.  Don’t think for a moment that when the kids go off to college that our jobs as parents are any less important or hands on.  If anything, this is when you have to really watch what they are doing.  The main thing is to always talk to them. Check out where they are working, who they are involved with and see for yourself that is a good, safe environment for them to be in.  Believe me, it’s worth it.”

It’s because of families like the Evaro’s that MADD created the Power of Parent™ program, to give parents the tools they need to have these lifesaving conversations with their kids.  Even if your kid is a “good kid,” or a “smart kid,” they can still make bad decisions.  Bad decisions like drinking underage, riding in a car with someone who has been drinking, or drinking and driving, that could threaten their lives.

Parents have the power to help kids 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.  That’s why MADD created Powertalk21®, the national day, on April 21st, to start talking about teens and alcohol.  Each year, we focus on reaching as many parents as possible, with the vision that April 21st will become widely known as the day to talk about kids and alcohol.  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.

MADD Featured on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act
By MADD | April 4, 2012 | Filed in: Power of Parents , Underage Drinking

This month, MADD will be sharing information about our Power of Parents™ program on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act. MADD National President Jan Withers joined host Danielle Knox and Ken Griffith, President of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to give parents tips on talking to their kids about alcohol for the show’s “Parent Teacher Corner.”

You can tune in on April 17th on Lifetime Television at 7:00 a.m. (ET/PT) to catch Jan and find out what you can do at home to stop underage drinking. Get ready for PowerTalk 21® day on April 21st—the national day for parents and kids to talk about alcohol—by watching this special segment and start crafting your game plan for having that lifesaving conversation with your kids.

**UPDATE 4/17:  Watch the segment now** 

Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence
By MADD | March 4, 2012 | Filed in: Power of Parents , Underage Drinking

Parental influence is the most important factor in helping keep teens safe.  That’s why MADD launched the Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence® program.  The goal of this program is to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking and give them the tools they need to start talking with their kids about alcohol.  The program has two major parts:

1. A website for parents that includes information and tips based on the best available research, along with access to a free parent handbook.
2. Free parent workshops to equip parents with strategies for having these potentially life-saving conversations.

The Power of Parents program can reach parents across the country with its proven strategies to help reduce underage drinking by as much as 30 percent.  In fact, in 2011, MADD reached one parent every thirty minutes to help them talk with their teen about alcohol.

April 21, PowerTalk 21® day, is the national day for parents to start talking with their kids about alcohol.   Each year, we focus on reaching as many parents as possible, with the vision that April 21st will become widely known as the day to talk about kids and alcohol.  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.

MADD knows that informed, caring parents can make a difference, and we’re here to help.  Together, we can save lives that might otherwise be lost as a result of underage drinking.

Take your best shot at preventing teen drinking
By MADD | February 8, 2012 | Filed in: Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is not cool, and we are counting on the teens across America to prove that through our Power of You(th) video contest.

MADD is asking teens to take a stand and create a short video to encourage their peers to avoid drinking alcohol and never get in a car with someone who's been drinking.  The top five finalists will each win a new iPad and a spot in our National Teen Influencer Group made up of teens from across the nation interested in helping tackle this problem.

Teens:  You have the power to influence your friends and make an impact in your school, home and community. The Power of You(th) is the power you hold to save some of the 6,000 lives that are lost each year because of underage drinking.

Deadline to enter is April 27, 2012. Go to www.madd.org/powerofyouth to learn more.

Please help MADD, along with presenting sponsor State Farm Insurance, spread the word about this opportunity for teens to get involved in making a difference and possibly even help save the lives of their peers.