SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is gearing-up to launch a nationwide campaign in April, Alcohol Awareness month, to help combat the rise in underage drinking across the United States.
The organization said they will collaborate with schools and police departments across the country to host dozens of community events from April 1 through May 2022.
The campaign, PowerTalk 21, is a call to action as MADD will challenge parents and guardians to have serious conversations with teens about the deadly dangers of impaired driving.
As part of its Power of Parent program, MADD said they will equip parents with the tools and education to have lifesaving conversations around the dangers and consequences of underage drinking and marijuana use.
The Power of Parent program features a free parent handbook that can be downloaded here.
According to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in March 2022, alcohol-related deaths spiked 14% from 2019 to 2020 while vehicle miles traveled decreased by 11%.
Underage Drinking Facts & Stats
- Teens report drinking more when they are exposed to parents who appear tolerant of underage drinking.
- 74% of teens say their parents are the biggest influence on their decisions to drink underage.
- Teen alcohol use kills about 4,300 people below the age of 21 in the U.S. each year.
- About 1 in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. For people who begin using before the age of 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.
- The earlier a young person begins drinking (age 14-15), the more likely they will become drunk drivers and alcohol dependent as an adult.