Thursday, March 23, 2000

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Launches
National Initiative to Prevent Underage Drinking
Governors’ Spouses Form Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free

The little-known but alarming facts surrounding alcohol consumption by children ages 9 to 15 have prompted more than 25 Governors’ Spouses to join forces and put this issue on the national agenda. Today they launched Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a multi-year, public-private partnership focused on preventing the use of alcohol by children, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at the National Institutes of Health and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among the nation’s youth and it can have serious, often lifelong, consequences for them, their families and their communities. The Governors’ spouses; federal and state agencies; a major private foundation; national, state and local nonprofit agencies and professional associations have joined together to raise awareness of the problem and develop effective interventions.

"Scientific evidence shows that the earlier children begin drinking the more likely they are to develop serious alcohol problems in their lifetime," says Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director of NIAAA. "Put simply, our nation can no longer ignore alcohol use by children."

"Underage alcohol use is a significant threat to the health and safety of our children. It is time for us to come to grips with this widespread, devastating public health problem," noted Steven A. Schroeder, M.D., President and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest foundation devoted exclusively to health and health care.

The extent of alcohol consumption by children ages 9 to 15 is startling, and preventing it must become a national priority. Consider these facts:

• 3 million children ages 14 through 17 are regular drinkers who already have a confirmed alcohol problem.
• 24 percent of eighth graders have used alcohol in the last 30 days.
• More than 100,000 12-13 year-olds binge drink every month.
• Ninth graders who drink are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide as those who don’t.
• 40 percent of children who begin drinking before the age of 15 will become alcoholics at some point in their lives.

The two-day conference that officially launches the national effort will examine the scope and nature of the problem, then showcase promising activities that address underage drinking by children as young as nine years old.

States participating in the conference include:

Five plenary discussions will explore all aspects of the problem as well as programs and activities from around the country that have shown promise in reducing underage drinking. Among the sessions are:

• Science, Kids and Alcohol, exploring the impact of alcohol on developing children.
• The Environment in Which Kids Live, examining peer pressure, social norms, media messages and the impact of the Internet on children.
• A Youth Roundtable, during which children and young people will share their experiences.
• An Exploration of Promising Programs & Activities, including a series of panel discussions on Parents and Schools Working Together, Youth As Partners, Community and State-Wide Efforts, and Youth-Related Alcohol Policies.

The conference will close Friday, March 24, 2000 with a Signing Ceremony in which Governors’ Spouses and state representatives will sign a "Pledge to Our Children." The Signing Ceremony will be followed by the fifth plenary session, a discussion among all program participants about the next steps for Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free and its drive to put underage drinking on the national agenda.

In addition, throughout the two-day conference, participants will be working with renowned artist Xavier Cortada to create a mural that will speak to the problem of children and alcohol and the energy and commitment that participants bring to the effort to put underage drinking on the national agenda.

B-Roll is available including PSAs featuring some Governors’ Spouses and footage of Governors’ Spouses addressing issues of underage drinking as a group and as individual leaders.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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