The State tells parents where to "stick it"

April 12, 2007

The State tells parents where to "stick it"

Part of Utah’s Aggressive Campaign to Eliminate Underage Drinking.

It is all about where to “stick it”…on the family refrigerator and on any state purchased alcohol.

As part of Utah’s aggressive campaign to eliminate underage drinking, ParentsEmpowered.org continues to offer resources and recommendations designed to educate parents about the harmful effects of underage drinking and to help parents build appropriate “scaffolding” to support their children and teens. ParentsEmpowered.org is an integrated research-based media campaign sponsored by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Utah Prevention.

Studies have shown that children are less likely to drink when parents are involved in their lives. Knowing where your children are, who they are with and what they are doing let’s children know that their parents care. As part of the campaign, handy sticky notes (available free online at www.parentsempowered.org) are being distributed at parent meetings statewide, with the reminder about house rules to stay away from environments and situations where alcohol is involved. After completing the usual blanks asking for who, what, where and when information, the child signs the note and agreement by saying, “And yes, I will leave if there is alcohol.”

According to the Surgeon General’s recently released report, alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. The report states that “a higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs.” Research shows that binge drinking begins as early as sixth grade; and in a recent study conducted by R&R Partners on behalf of the campaign, nearly 60 percent of Utah parents are unaware of this fact. “Parents seem to believe that just saying ‘do not drink’ is sufficient, but the studies prove that more is needed. Keeping our children safe and letting them know that any drinking is unacceptable is our primary objective. So let’s stick it to them,” stated Larry V. Lunt, Chairman of Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Beginning this week, bottle neck tags with a simple sticky label emphasizing both the harms and the consequences of underage drinking, will be found on all state purchased alcohol. The parent completes the label by filling in the child’s name above the strongly worded message, “At your age drinking is dangerous. So are really angry parents,” and attaches the sticky label reminder to the bottle. The label is one more resource in the state sponsored campaign.

For more information, go to www.parentsempowered.org (Click here for more information.)

R&R Partners builds innovative brand relationships across a wide range of audiences through such integrated services as advertising, public relations, government & public affairs, research, media, branded entertainment and digital marketing. Ranked among the top 10 regional agencies in the U.S. by Adweek magazine, R&R Partners maintains offices in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Reno and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.rrpartners.com.

ParentsEmpowered.org is a statewide campaign focused on eliminating underage drinking in Utah. Its primary goals are to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking and provide them with proven skills to communicate with their children about remaining alcohol-free. This campaign runs through June 2007. More information is available at www.parentsempowered.org