Alcohol is the most commonly used drug by teens, more than all other illegal drugs combined. Teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year. You can join MADD during Red Ribbon Week to influence teen drinking behavior by providing teens with fun ways to take a stand against underage drinking and by providing parents with the tools to talk with their teens about alcohol. The following MADD programs and activities are available for educators to utilize, promote or participate in during Red Ribbon Week:

• Encourage students to wear red! Red Power of You(th) bracelets may be available through your local MADD office.
• Give students the 411 on Teen Drinking. MADD and its National Teen Influencer Group have prepared a booklet just for teens. Partner with MADD to distribute teen booklets as well as parent handbooks during Red Ribbon Week. A signed partnership agreement form is required, which allows a school the right to distribute the materials.
• A Discussion Guide is also provided online and in the teen booklet, ideal for educators to lead class discussions about underage drinking.
• Provide school announcements each day that spread the message about the dangers of underage drinking as well as what teens can do to use their power to not drink. Here are some key messages:
• One in five teens binge drinks. That means four out of five DON’T.
• Teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.
• Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about one-third of those are alcohol related.
• Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash. 
• High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school or believe good grades are not important. 
• Enter MADD’s video contest to demonstrate your power to stop underage drinking and for a chance to win an iPad. Go to madd.org/youthvideo.
• MADD and the NFL have partnered on a social media campaign during football season to encourage teens to not drink before age 21 and to not ride in a car with someone who has been drinking. Teens can take a stand by signing pledges through the Power of You(th) Facebook page, facebook.com/MADDsPowerofYouth, where they can also enter to win NFL prizes.
• Promote MADD’s National Teen Video Contest where teens and classes are encouraged to create and submit a short video that demonstrates the Power of You(th), the power teens hold to take a stand against underage drinking and join the majority of teens who don’t drink. Deadline for this contest is December 28, 2012. Go to www.madd.org/youthvideo for flyers that may be duplicated, distributed and turned into posters.
• Equip parents to have the potentially life-saving conversations about alcohol at home with their teens using MADD’s research-based Power of Parents handbook as their guide. Contact your local MADD office to invite a facilitator to provide a free 30-minute workshop for parents.