Advisory

Over 1000 Classroom Teach-Ins to Push Back on Underage Drinking, Targeting Pre-Teens

Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth, exceeding both tobacco and illegal drugs. To stop underage drinking before it starts, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has teamed up with Scholastic, Inc., to educate students in fifth and sixth grades on the dangers of underage alcohol use. Teach-ins in over 1,000 schools across the nation will take place April 3-7.

“The Reach Out Now initiative brings specialized educational materials, including a teaching curriculum and materials for parents, into 5 th and 6 th grade classrooms across the country,” said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie. “It helps parents and teachers start talking about underage drinking before their children or students start drinking. The teach-ins and materials are directed at pre-teens because SAMHSA data show that over 11 percent of 12 year olds reported using alcohol at least once. By age 13, the percentage doubles. By age 15, it is over 50 percent. Underage drinking is not inevitable, particularly if you begin talking early and often.”

School and community-based use of Reach Out Now materials continues to grow as does the number of teach-ins being conducted in schools nationwide. At these special events, young people get to learn about the effects of alcohol on the developing brain and teachers and parents get to try out new ways to connect with young people on this critical issue. In many states, public figures, including first ladies of no fewer than 17 states, will lead classroom-based teach-ins.

This is the fifth year of Reach Out Now. The materials were developed by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and Scholastic, Inc., and are based on research supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and SAMHSA.  Materials were distributed to over 300,000 5 th and 6 th grade classrooms nationwide.  This public/private partnership has enabled SAMHSA to blend its knowledge about underage drinking prevention with Scholastic, Inc.’s reputation for excellence in the development of classroom materials.

Partnering with SAMHSA in the effort are MADD, Pride Youth Program, Inc., Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America,  the National Family Partnership, National Association of State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Directors, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

A Family Resource Guide is part of the school program.  The guide urges parents to establish and maintain good communications with their children; get involved in their children’s lives; make clear rules and enforce them with consistence and appropriate consequences; be positive role models; teach children to choose friends wisely; and monitor the activities of their children.

The Reach Out Now materials are part of a larger initiative to curb and eliminate underage drinking as a serious public health issue in the nation. A recently released series of television, print, radio, and internet public service announcements (PSAs), developed by the Ad Council with SAMHSA, were distributed to more than 28,000 media outlets and are now airing nationwide. The PSA messages target parents of children ages 11-15 with the “start talking before they start drinking” message. Over 1,200 town hall meetings nationwide helped communities learn about the science and consequences of underage drinking, and how to help prevent underage alcohol use by reducing demand, availability and access. Each part of the initiative reinforces the others to advance the goal of talking early and often with children before they begin illegal alcohol use.

“The Reach Out Now materials, public service announcements and town hall meetings are only the beginning,” Curie said. “Each community is being encouraged to think about how it can plan and implement a comprehensive long-term approach to preventing underage drinking.”

Reach Out Now materials and more information about the teach-ins are available on the web at www.teachin.samhsa.gov.

SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service