SAMHSA and Ad Council Launch Underage Drinking PSA Campaign for Alcohol Awareness Month

More than a quarter of youth aged 12 to 20 (27.6 percent) drank alcohol in the past month, according to a new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The study shows that the underage drinking rates were as high as 40 percent in some states such as North Dakota and Vermont.

In a major effort to combat the epidemic of underage drinking, SAMHSA and the Ad Council launched a new series of national public service advertisements to encourage parents to talk to their children about drinking alcohol at an early age. The campaign and study were released in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness Month (April) and as part of the Surgeon General's "Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking." The PSAs are being distributed to media outlets throughout the country and will also be available on line at: www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.

"Prevention is the number one priority of SAMHSA, and reducing underage drinking is a key part of that effort. Underage drinking is a national crisis putting the lives of millions of Americans at risk as well as the futures of many of our youth,"said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "The national educational campaign SAMHSA is undertaking with the Ad Council aims at bringing to bear the most effective weapon against underage drinking; conversations between parents and their children."

New PSAs Aimed at Parents

The new PSAs aim to reach parents of children ages 11 to 15, with an emphasis on parents of middle school children who have not yet started drinking. The television, radio, magazine, newspaper and Internet ads are designed to reduce and delay the onset of underage drinking by increasing communication between parents and youth. The ads encourage parents to talk early, talk often and get others involved.

The PSA campaign includes resources for parents that illustrate the short and long-term consequences of underage drinking and for tips on talking with their kids about alcohol. The accompanying Web site features a number of helpful resources for parents, including an action plan that parents can personalize for their children to help start the conversation.

What the Survey Found

Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America's youth. Alcohol contributes to the three leading causes of death among 12 to 20-year-olds (unintentional injury, homicide and suicide). And research shows that those who start drinking before age 15 are six times more likely to have alcohol problems as adults than those who start drinking at age 21 or older.

The study also reveals that nationwide, approximately 8.6 percent of past-month drinkers aged 12 to 20 purchased their own alcohol the last time they drank. The rates were among the highest in Louisiana and the District of Columbia (18.8 percent) and among the lowest in Alaska (3.1 percent) and New Mexico (3.7 percent).

The data were drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, using combined 2006-2008 data in estimates of past month alcohol use and self-purchase of alcohol among persons aged 12 to 20. The report will be available at oas.samhsa.gov/2k10/180/SR180UADhtml.pdf.

What You Can Do

As part of Alcohol Awareness Month, we encourage you to launch underage drinking prevention campaigns locally. Get your local media to cover this issue in your community.

Many coalitions throughout the country are already hosting town hall meetings in April to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol abuse and underage drinking. For free resources to help you host a town hall in your community, visit: http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeetings/map/Map_2010.aspx

In addition to SAMHSA's underage drinking Web site, there are a number of other Web sites that offer free resources to help coalitions engage the community in underage drinking prevention. Here are a few:

National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking 2007

CADCA’s Support 21 Toolkit

Alcohol Policy Information System

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

STOP Underage Drinking

Preventing Underage Drinking – Using Getting To Outcomes™ with the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework to Achieve Results

CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov, which offers important information and resources on alcoholism and substance abuse for college students, parents of college students, high school parents and students