New Statewide Contest Encourages Families to Take the Pledge To Prevent Underage Drinking
Talk It Out Launches Contest to Inspire Action
More teens die as a result of alcohol use than all illicit drugs combined. Talk It Out, a statewide initiative to reduce underage drinking, is working hard to prevent this tragedy by encouraging parents/caregivers and teens to Take the Pledge to Talk It Out.
To spark these crucial conversations, Talk It Out created the #WeTookThePledge contest to encourage both parents and teens to Take the Pledge to start the conversation about the dangers of alcohol. Since Oct. 11, parents and teens have been able to complete a pledge card online that includes promises to make smart choices about alcohol. Once completed, the parent and teen are entered in a drawing for a $200 Visa gift card. A winner will be chosen at random, by the firm 919 Marketing, each week from Friday, Oct. 19 through Nov. 16.
“The average age that kids in North Carolina first try alcohol is around 14, so we know we have a lot of work to do,” says Jeff Strickland, Programs Coordinator for the Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking at the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. “We believe the first step to prevent underage drinking is for families to start having open and honest conversations about the dangers of alcohol. We want this contest to inspire families to overcome their hesitation and pledge to start having these important conversations.”
On October 18 representatives from the Talk It Out campaign will be in Safety City at the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh handing out materials and answering questions. Parents and teens can also sign up to take the pledge in person that day. The pledge cards are geared toward both teens and parents with unique actions for each.
The pledge cards for parents/caregivers ask them to:
- Set a healthy example regarding alcohol
- Promise not to punish their teen for calling if they feel unsafe
- Agree to opt-in and remain active in the texting program
- Place the Talk It Out sticker on their car’s rear windshield
The pledge card for teens asks them to:
- Not drive or allow someone who’s been drinking to drive them
- Call for help if they are in an uncomfortable situation — no questions asked
- Agree to opt-in and remain active in the texting program
- Regularly talk with their parents about not drinking alcohol under age
Visit www.TalkItOutNC.org/Pledge to take the pledge. For more information about Talk It Out and how you can begin the conversation to stop underage drinking, visit talkitoutnc.org.
