







January 02, 2012 1:00 pm
Parents need to wake up and smell the alcohol, experts say in a new campaign alerting them to the signs their children may be getting "trashed."Read More
November 29, 2011 11:17 am
Getting trashed.
It’s slang for getting drunk.
But it has taken on a new meaning in Duchesne and Uintah counties, where a popular ad campaign to end underage drinking has hit the streets.Read More
November 29, 2011 10:00 am
ROOSEVELT, Utah — Garbage trucks in eastern Utah are urging parents to keep their kids from getting "trashed" in a new ad campaign against underage drinking.Read More
November 25, 2011 10:06 am
The three trucks will act as mobile billboards with the messages: "Prevent Underage Drinking. The brain you save might be your kid's," "No underage drinking. Trust us, you're going to need this," and "No underage drinking. A healthy brain comes in handy."Read More
October 19, 2011 4:00 pm
Click on the link below to view the latest newspaper insert about underage drinking prevention, produced in partnership with the Desert News and Salt Lake Tribune. Read More
September 26, 2011 11:16 am
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's first lady, Jeanette Herbert, urged her fellow Utahns to take part in National Family Day Monday by eating dinner with their families.Read More
September 25, 2011 11:01 am
Family meals are getting another big thumbs-up today, this time thanks to a new study examining the link between dinnertime and lower rates of risky behavior in teenagers. Read More
September 24, 2011 10:00 am
First Lady Jeanette Herbert, Utah’s honorary chair of Family Day, will invite Utah families to join other families across the country to participate in Family Day. She will kick off Family Day at Dan’s Market in Olympus Hills Shopping CenterRead More
May 18, 2011 5:00 pm
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The next time your trash is picked up, you may notice the garbage truck has a new look. They're mobile billboards carrying messages to parents.Read More
May 18, 2011 1:00 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Scientific research has shown that alcohol affects teenagers' still developing brains differently from adult brains and may harm that development.Read More
May 18, 2011 11:00 am
SALT LAKE CITY — Scientific research has shown that alcohol affects teenagers' still-developing brains differently from adult brains and may harm that development. And if you don't believe the scientists, ask your garbage man.Read More
May 18, 2011 10:00 am
Garbage trucks rambling down the road are hard to miss. That’s why officials are using them as moving billboards of sorts for a new version of a perennial advertising campaign that aims to remind teenagers of the dangers of alcohol.Read More
May 01, 2011 5:00 pm
In this Sunday Edition, KSL's Bruce Lindsay talks with Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff who is calling for consequences for the makers of alcoholic beverages aimed at children. Read More
April 26, 2011 10:00 am
The Federal Trade Commission needs to do more to regulate young people's exposure to alcohol advertising, says Utah Attorney General Mark ShurtleffRead More
April 06, 2011 2:00 pm
Underage binge drinking can create lasting brain changes
Published: Monday, April 4, 2011 - 10:07 in Psychology & Sociology
Adolescents represent the majority of people who binge drink. This may come as a surprise to some, but recent surveys indicate that episodes of heavy alcohol drinking within the previous two weeks are reported by 12 percent of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, 28 percent of 12th grade seniors and 44 percent of college students. Human adolescence, roughly between 12 to 20 years of age, marks a critical period for brain development.Read More
March 01, 2011 3:00 pm
ust as some of your favorite games have rules -- letting players know what to expect and what is fair -- families with rules, rewards and responsibilities, tend to turn out happier, healthier and more successful kids. Read More
December 31, 2010 3:00 pm
Dear mom and dad: You may drive a mini-van, wear mom jeans or listen to Lawrence Welk, but when it comes to protecting your kids against underage alcohol use, you can still be totally cool.Read More
December 19, 2010 1:18 pm
Usually parents remind teens not to drink. This holiday season, larger-than-life cutouts of teens are greeting shoppers at local alcohol stores and reminding them to keep alcohol away from kids.Read More
September 27, 2010 1:00 pm
On September 27, 2010 families across the United States are invited to participate in Family Day - a day to eat dinner with their children. Read More
September 07, 2010 2:00 pm
A media and education campaign to prevent underage drinking is going into its fifth year in a state-funded program that tops $7 million in spending, and supporters say it is showing results.Read More
September 07, 2010 2:00 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The fifth year of the "Parents Empowered" campaign against underage drinking kicked off Tuesday with Gov. Gary Herbert and other state leaders urging Utahns to pay attention.Read More
June 24, 2010 1:00 pm
PROVO — You can't just love your kids away from alcohol. In fact, teens who viewed their parents as warm and affectionate, but lax in their monitoring, were three times more likely to engage in heavy drinking than their loved and supervised peers, according to a new BYU study.Read More
May 31, 2010 3:00 pm
As teenagers mature into their senior year of high school, many parents begin to feel more comfortable about letting them drink alcohol. But new research from brain scientists and parenting experts suggests loosening the reins on drinking may not be a good idea in the long run.Read More
May 12, 2010 2:00 pm
BOUNTIFUL — Have you seen the “Mother Thumbs” ad on TV, ending with “Yes. They’re Opposable. They oppose underage drinking.”
That campaign, and more importantly its message, took center stage, last week, at a Bountiful Town Hall meeting targeting ways to combat underage drinking. Read More
March 22, 2010 3:00 pm
Research tells us that kids in grades 7-12 who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to ever use.Read More
February 16, 2010 1:00 am
A recent study led by neuroscientist Susan Tapert of the University of California, San Diego compared the brain scans of teens who drink heavily with the scans of teens who don't.Read More
December 15, 2009 1:00 pm
Presentation of 2009 USAAV Governor’s Awards
Each year, the USAAV Council honors individuals, organizations and programs that have made outstanding contributions to Utah’s efforts to eliminate substance abuse and violence. Read More
December 01, 2009 5:02 pm
A fleet of 75 garbage trucks plastered with messages that underage drinking is well, garbage, was unveiled Tuesday by local government officials and a parents' advocacy group hoping to mobilize communities to eliminate it.Read More
December 01, 2009 3:03 pm
SALT LAKE COUNTY -- People across Salt Lake County will start to see new messages aimed at underage drinking, delivered right on their streets. Garbage trucks roll through all of our residential neighborhoods once a week. So, the mayors of Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City decided to "go to the curb" to call attention to the dangers of underage drinking.Read More
December 01, 2009 1:00 pm
Three large fleets of garbage trucks carrying mobile billboards displaying underage drinking messages are now rolling down Utah streets. Read More
November 30, 2009 4:00 pm
For the seventeenth consecutive year, a representative from FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) will be visiting Rowland Hall’s Middle and Upper Schools. FCD is a non-profit organization based in Needham, Massachusetts that provides alcohol, tobacco, and other drug information to schools and colleges in the United States and abroad.Read More
October 23, 2009 12:00 am
SALT LAKE CITY -- Representatives from several state agencies met today to discuss the fourth year of the Parents Empowered campaign. It encourages parents to talk to their children about underage drinking.
Read More
October 22, 2009 10:00 am
President Michael Waddoups and Senator Peter Knudson spoke at a press conference highlighting the success of the Parents Empowered program in curbing underage drinking.Read More
July 09, 2009 12:00 pm
ParentsEmpowered and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) partner to share new tools and resources to help parents fight underage drinking.Read More
May 25, 2009 7:18 pm
Utah's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff joins ABC4 Good Things Utah to discuss Utah's campaign to eliminate underage drinking.Read More
May 21, 2009 4:12 pm
The two organizations have launched an integrated website with interactive prevention tools to help parents eliminate underage drinking. (www.parentsempowered.org)Read More
May 15, 2009 10:00 am
The PTA and the statewide coalition ParentsEmpowered.org are unveiling an expanded Web site to show the harmful effects underage drinking has on developing brains. It also offers an array of interactive tools parents can use to help keep their children alcohol free.Read More
April 25, 2009 12:00 pm
Underage drinking prevention messages on Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control trucks.
Read More
April 20, 2009 12:00 pm
It might not be the place you'd expect underage drinking prevention messages, but Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control hopes it gets your attention.Read More
April 20, 2009 12:00 am
One of 10 vehicles that have been wrapped with messages against underage drinking sits at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 1625 S. 900 West in Salt Lake City on Monday.
Read More
March 26, 2009 12:00 am
By the time teens in Summit County hit their senior year in high school, six out of 10 are at risk for drug and alcohol abuse. And in Tooele County, binge drinking, drug use and anti-social behavior peaks at 36 percent around the 10th grade.Read More
February 26, 2009 12:00 pm
State lawmakers are looking to increase punishments for underage drinkers and their parents, even as they make deep funding cuts to an educational campaign that shows how alcohol damages teen brains.
The $1.8 million education program, which includes a series of ads aimed at reducing underage drinking, is expected to be cut by $1 million. Read More
January 29, 2009 12:00 pm
For the third consecutive year, the month of January has been designated ParentsEmpowered month, a month dedicated to spreading messages about the dangers of underage drinking and the proven skills required to prevent it. Some 130 ParentsEmpowered-sponsored events will take place in the next several weeks, helping to educate parents and kids on the dangers of underage drinking.Read More
January 29, 2009 12:00 pm
Utah’s ParentsEmpowered.org team spreads anti–under-age drinking message statewide. County coordinators of anti– substance-abuse efforts will hold 130 ParentsEmpowered events around the state.Read More
January 29, 2009 12:00 am
Utah’s ParentsEmpowered.org team spreads anti–under-age drinking message statewide
County coordinators of anti– substance-abuse efforts will hold 130 ParentsEmpowered events around the state.
Read More
January 23, 2009 12:00 pm
Kids need help to stay alcohol free. Parents who are actively involved in their kids' lives and set clear rules and expectations on no alcohol use have a powerful influence on their children's decision to remain alcohol free.Read More
January 19, 2009 12:00 pm
Parents Empowered is sponsoring 130 events throughout the state to educate parents on the dangers of underage drinking and ways to prevent it. Board Member Steve Wright, who's speaking at some of the events, says many parents feel hopeless.Read More
January 19, 2009 12:00 pm
Parents Empowered is sponsoring 130 events throughout the state to educate parents on the dangers of underage drinking and ways to prevent it. Board Member Steve Wright, who's speaking at some of the events, says many parents feel hopeless.Read More
January 01, 2009 12:00 am
(KCPW News) A survey of Salt Lake City schools reveals that 25 percent of sixth graders say they have tried alcohol.Read More
December 30, 2008 12:00 am
The Governors Highway Safety Association awarded ParentsEmpowered.org The Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award for 2008.Read More
September 10, 2008 12:00 pm
ParentsEmpowered and the Utah Dental Association aren't exactly drooling over their idea, but they're pretty excited about a public awareness campaign kicked off Wednesday using the unconventional medium and the captive confines of the dental chair.Read More
September 09, 2008 12:00 pm
Making good grades probably tops your list of goals for your middle school student, but making friends is also important. Friends of middle schoolers often help shape many of their values and actions.Read More
August 19, 2008 12:00 am
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A Utah college president is joining others nationwide who now want the drinking age lowered to 18. It's a controversial idea. But they say it might work to cut down on binge drinking and alcohol abuse on college campuses. The president of Westminster College in Salt Lake says it's worth talking about.Read More
August 15, 2008 12:00 am
As the Utah Parents Empowered program continues into its second year, the campaign is taking a strong, innovative stance aimed at eliminating underage drinking.Read More
July 29, 2008 12:00 pm
(KCPW News) By the time kids in Salt Lake City reach 10th grade, more than half of them will have tried alcohol according to ParentsEmpowered.org. Marjean Searcy, Chair of the Salt Lake City Mayor's Coalition on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, says its up to parents to set boundaries with their children regarding alcohol use.Read More
July 07, 2008 12:00 am
2008 Award Winner - Eliminating Alcohol Sales to Youth (E.A.S.Y.) - ParentsEmpowered.org is a unique program that works toward eliminating underage drinking in Utah through total community mobilization.Read More
June 10, 2008 12:00 pm
This crash course in the most popular communication tools used by teens today offers guidance and advice to help parents monitor their teen's activities on these devices.Read More
May 23, 2008 12:00 am
The Sugar House liquor store has a new addition to its lighting décor -- a large neon light that says “Not Until 21.”Read More
May 18, 2008 12:00 am
"We are proud and excited about our 6 new sanitation trucks and their new message on underage drinking! This is the 2nd set of trucks wrapped with a message to parents – The trucks serve as moving billboards stopping weekly at Salt Lake City homes and businesses.Read More
May 15, 2008 12:00 pm
After logging some 3.3 million miles and stopping in front of 16 million households bearing the "Alcohol can trash your kid's brain" messages, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County garbage trucks are carrying new messages about underage drinking prevention. This time it's the parents turn to adorn the trucks.Read More
April 29, 2008 12:00 am
On April 29, 2008 The Coalition participated in a nation wide series of town hall meetings focused on underage drinking. The town hall meetings were sponsored by several federal offices including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and others.Read More
April 24, 2008 12:00 pm
In 2006, a majority (53.9 percent) of American adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 20 had used an alcoholic beverage at least once in their lifetime.Read More
April 17, 2008 12:00 pm
"Underage drinking is a serious problem in Utah," said Craig Anderson, prevention specialist for Weber Human Services. "We conducted a survey and asked the students in our region about their alcohol use."Read More
April 01, 2008 12:00 am
Twenty-eight town hall meetings will be held statewide with the intent to decrease underage drinking. During the months of March though May, teenagers throughout Utah are engaged in spring break vacations, proms and graduation parties. This is a critical time to focus on underage drinking.
Read More
March 28, 2008 12:00 pm
PROVO — About $62 billion a year is spent on alcohol nationwide, and federal and Utah officials don't want any of that money spent by underage drinkersRead More
March 27, 2008 12:00 pm
One dark silhouette said, "No way do I drink, my parents would kill me." Another said, "No thanks, I need all the brain cells I can get." But the words attached to a particular cardboard cutout in the Utah County Health and Justice Building brought the problem upfront: "After school is the best time to party."Read More
March 24, 2008 12:00 pm
State officials say March, April and May can be critical times when it comes to underage drinking. They're launching a series of town meetings to help lower the numbers.Read More
March 10, 2008 12:00 pm
A study found that excessive drinking in early life leads to later health problems, including abdominal obesity and low HDL cholesterol, which can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Read More
January 15, 2008 12:00 am
A statewide campaign aimed to eliminate underage drinking in Utah began in December.
Business leaders, government officials, community leaders and parents are coming together to decrease the amount of underage drinking by educating teens and parents about its dangers and prevalence.Read More
January 15, 2008 12:00 am
Business leaders, government officials, community leaders and parents are coming together to decrease the amount of underage drinking by educating teens and parents about its dangers and prevalence.Read More
January 01, 2008 12:00 am
Utah Electronic High School's iTunes U content focuses on the whole student, going beyond strictly academic topics, and seeks to engage parents. For example, a video by the Utah State Office of Education's Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program teaches students how to cope with bullying, and the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control posted commercials from ParentsEmpowered.org.Read More
December 10, 2007 12:00 am
A statewide campaign to mobilize workplaces and empower parents to eliminate underage drinking in Utah kicked off recently at the Capitol.Read More
December 03, 2007 12:00 am
Alicia Garcia has heard stories about high school students keeping alcohol in their lockers and drinking during school hours. And she knows alcohol is more available to her 17-year-old daughter than when she was that age.
"They're getting to that age where they're influenced by their friends. I grew up in Mexico. It wasn't an issue when I was younger," Garcia said. "It's important to learn how to communicate and avoid this."Read More
November 27, 2007 5:06 pm
Today, Utah communities intensified campaigns to keep our kids safe with a pair of messages that translate into saved lives.Read More
October 13, 2007 12:00 pm
Read the facts in our "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions" that may surprise you. Visit the resource page and click on the first option to view a full PDF.Read More
October 01, 2007 12:00 am
A television and radio campaign launched this week by state officials aims to curb underage drinking in a state that already boasts the lowest rates in the nation.Read More
September 28, 2007 12:00 pm
In its first Call to Action against underage drinking, the U.S. Surgeon General's Office appealed today to Americans to do more to stop America's 11 million current underage drinkers from using alcohol...Read More
September 28, 2007 12:00 pm
As the nation's current debate on the 21 Minimum Drinking Age Law rages on, it's easy to mistake opinions as facts.Read More
September 18, 2007 12:00 am
September 24 is National Family Day to remind parents that dinner together is a simple and effective way to stay engaged in their children’s lives.Read More
September 07, 2007 12:00 pm
About 1 in 10 4th-graders had more than a sip of alcohol and 7% had a drink during the past year. Researchers say that parents can't overlook drinking among young children.Read More
August 28, 2007 12:00 pm
ARLINGTON, Va. - Drunken driving fatalities increased in 22 states in 2006 and fell in 28 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Federal transportation officials say tha among the states, Arizona, Kansas and Texas had the greatest increases in number of drunken driving deaths last year. But Utah, Kansas and Iowa had the largest percentage increases compared with 2005.Read More
August 28, 2007 12:00 pm
Nearly of young people say their relationship with parents makes them happy.Read More
August 07, 2007 12:00 am
"We need to get our youth involved in the effort to stop underage drinking. Peers and older siblings can have a great impact on children and teens."
—Mary Kaye HuntsmanRead More
July 26, 2007 12:00 pm
Experts call them the hrs of vulnerability. The time between 3 & 6 pm when teens are out of school and unsupervised.Read More
June 19, 2007 12:00 pm
Parents cannot outsource their responsibility to law enforcement, public health agencies, schools and colleges. The fundamental obligation of those broader institutions is significant, but secondary.Read More
May 08, 2007 12:00 pm
There is bad news and good news about teenage drinking.The bad news, research suggests, is that children who start drinking below the age of 15 are more likely to become alcoholics than those who start at the legal age of 21.Read More
April 19, 2007 12:00 pm
A new review of adolescent brain research suggests that society is wasting billions of dollars on education and intervention programs to dissuade teens from dangerous activities, because their immature brains are not yet capable of avoiding risky behaviors.Read More
March 12, 2007 12:00 pm
This Call to Action is a reminder that underage drinking has serious social costs and often tragic personal consequences. More than that, this Call to Action demonstrates that each of us has the opportunity to prevent underage drinking.Read More
March 09, 2007 12:00 pm
U.S. Surgeon General Urges Reductions in Outdoor Ads, End to College Event SponsorshipsRead More
March 06, 2007 12:00 am
The latest billboard in the ongoing campaign against teenage drinking is a bib — a dental bib.
Parents Empowered and the Utah Dental Association aren't exactly drooling over their idea, but they're pretty excited about a public awareness campaign kicked off Wednesday using the unconventional medium and the captive confines of the dental chair.Read More
February 07, 2007 12:00 pm
Last year a shocking report brought new meaning to the term "underage drinking" A study from the University of Pittsburgh revealed kids as young at 9 and 10 are drinking alcohol. You may think ... not my child. But in Utah 86,000 kids under 17 say they've tried alcohol. Many parents have no clue.Read More
January 09, 2007 12:00 pm
'Meanest mom' sells teenage son's car after finding booze inside.Read More
June 07, 2006 12:00 am
The Bear River Health Department and local high schools are teaming up to reduce injuries and fatalities by promoting safe driving and increasing seat belt use. Schools joined in the nationally known “Click it or Ticket” campaign during the month of January to educate teenage drivers of the importance of wearing a seat belt. The leading cause of death for teens 15 to 19 years old is motor vehicle crashes. Read More
May 25, 2006 12:00 am
Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
Underage drinking is one of the most serious problems we face in this state, for it can
cause brain impairment, increased risk of addiction, and lead to anti-social behavior.
The State's Underage Drinking Prevention Workgroup, which operates under USAAV
(Utah Substance Abuse and Anti-Violence Coordinating Council) seeks to encourage
and empower parents to make a positive difference in their children's lives to help
them stay alcohol free. Because there is some discussion currently in the U.S. about
lowering the drinking age, and we have received requests for more information, we are
providing it in the form of "Frequently Asked Questions." Read More
December 31, 1969 5:00 pm
If your teenagers have cell phones, they likely receive text messages from all their friends; so why not send one to your child as a parent?Read More
December 31, 1969 5:00 pm
ParentsEmpowered.org kicked off the fourth year of its ongoing public awareness campaign against underage drinking Thursday with some good news.
Read More