Mothers Against Drunk Driving is raising awareness about when children begin weighing the positive and negative attributes of alcohol.
The awareness efforts will culminate on PowerTalk 21 Day, April 21, the national day for parents to talk with their children about alcohol.
In partnership with the Milford Prevention Council, MADD will present a Power of Parents presentation at Lauralton Hall on April 22, at 7 p.m., along with Power of You(th) presentations at Foran and Jonathan Law high schools.
A new MADD/Nationwide Survey shows that about one third of parents believe the ages in which to start talking with their children about alcohol are 14-18 in high school. Because research shows children start weighing the pros and cons of underage drinking as early as age 8, as second and third graders in elementary school, MADD urges parents to start talking much earlier and to keep talking as those perceptions about alcohol continue to form and change through age 21.
“We know that parents — not peers — remain the biggest influence on their children when it comes to alcohol,” said Amber Monck, MADD program specialist. “Underage drinking prevention is a cornerstone of MADD’s mission, and this new information proves that we need to better equip parents to start having conversations much earlier and more frequently than ever before.”
MADD has added a new middle school handbook to the Power of Parents program, in order to provide parents with the tools they need to talk early and often with their children about alcohol. The newest handbook provides parents with strategies and tips for having productive conversations with middle schoolers about the consequences of drinking before 21.
To launch the expanded Power of Parents program, MADD and Nationwide are issuing the first-ever Power of Parents Mayors Challenge. The Challenge is an opportunity for mayors across the country to make underage drinking prevention a priority by encouraging parents in their communities to download MADD’s Power of Parents handbook by April 21.
Mayor Ben Blake will be participating in the mayoral challenge, asking parents of middle school students in Milford to download the new Power of Parents handbook.
Parents can enter to win prizes by visiting madd.org/PowerofParents to download a free handbook, register for a free online webinar on April 21, or learn how to get involved in their local community.