DID YOU KNOW?
• One in three 8th graders drinks alcohol.
• One in five teens binge drinks.
• Only one in 100 parents believe his or her child binge drinks.
• Teen alcohol use kills about 6,000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.
MADD has launched a new program, Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence®, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance to help parents and caregivers of teenagers talk about the dangers of underage drinking. The program provides parents with a handbook and 30-minute workshop to equip them with the tools necessary to keep their teen safe.
Parents are the number one influence in their child’s decisions about drinking, Van Buren County SAFE Coalition wants to help parents use that power to have positive conversations about alcohol and ultimately prevent teens from drinking.
Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence® is based on a handbook model developed by Dr. Robert Turrisi from Pennsylvania State University. Through his research, Dr. Turrisi found that parents who used a similar handbook to talk to their college-aged kids about alcohol significantly reduced their kids’ drinking and behavior problems associated with drinking. MADD partnered with Dr. Turrisi to develop a similar handbook for parents of teenagers to help reach high-school aged kids.
The program offers 30-minute workshops, facilitated by trained staff and volunteers, to give parents the conversational tools they need to talk to their teens and reduce teen alcohol use as a result. These workshops are open to the public and are free of charge.
Parents can attend a workshop in the coming months! To register for a workshop, to host a workshop at your location, or for more information on MADD’s parenting initiative: Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence®, contact Heidi Bainbridge at 319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com.
ABOUT NATIONWIDE INSURANCE
Nationwide Insurance, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. Visit www.nationwide.com.
ABOUT MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING
Founded by a mother who lost her daughter in a crash, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. With the help of those who want a safer future, MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end this danger on American roads. And, Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence® offers research-proven strategies to help parents keep their children safe from the dangers of underage drinking. One of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk driving victims and survivors – serving one person every 10 minutes – at no charge. To learn more about MADD, visit madd.org or call 1-800-GET-MADD. For victims/survivors, call 1-877-MADD-HELP.
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