Multimedia News Release - MADD Unveils New Multimedia School Assembly Show To Help Teens 'FACE' the Facts on Underage Drinking and Increase Driving Safety
New Research Revealed About the Age of First Intoxication, Drunk Driving And Risks of Serious Injury
IRVING, Texas, Oct. 16 -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and National Presenting Sponsor DaimlerChrysler's Road Ready Teens(TM) program, today unveiled FACE, a dynamic celebrity-filled, 35-minute multimedia school assembly show. FACE focuses on teaching secondary school students about the importance of making healthy choices, avoiding alcohol and other drug use, facing their mistakes and learning from them, and understanding the risks and responsibilities they face as new teen drivers.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/madd/11404/
"We're launching FACE to talk directly to America's teens not only about the dangers of underage drinking and the challenges they face as new teen drivers, but about the importance of making the healthy decision not to use alcohol or other drugs," said Wendy J. Hamilton, MADD national president, during a Webcast. "We believe the combination of music videos, movie and TV clips, and real-life stories will be highly effective with students as they view FACE throughout the school year."
Underage drinking is America's No. 1 youth drug problem -- killing 6.5 times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined. A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences recommended it become one of America's top health priorities, calling for a series of initiatives to combat the problem, including more effective ways of communicating with teens.
New findings from a national survey of college students conducted by Boston University's School of Public Health were also released today along with the launch of FACE. The research shows that there is a statistically significant link between age of first intoxication and heavy drinking, risk- taking, and alcohol dependency in the college years. The research also reveals part of the reason for this risk-taking: these students develop an air of invincibility -- a belief that they can tolerate alcohol and, drink and drive.
Ralph W. Hingson, Sc.D., M.P.H., professor of social and behavioral sciences and associate dean for research at the Boston University School of Public Health, said, "This study underscores that early prevention and intervention are critical to reaching young people. Prevention programs like MADD's school assembly programs, such as FACE, provide an ideal opportunity to raise these issues with youth in their communication style."
Luis Morais, DaimlerChrysler's senior manager of safety planning and programs, said, "A key message of DaimlerChrysler's Road Ready Teens program and FACE is that motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens. Inexperience behind the wheel combined with known risk factors like driving at night, having teen passengers in the vehicle, and drinking and driving can make driving deadly for teens. With our new teen driving video game and parents guide and MADD's FACE school show, together we are helping millions of parents and their teens safely ease into driving."
Narrated by 17-year-old singing sensation Solange Knowles, the program captures students' attention with clips from current music videos by Michelle Branch, Blue Man Group, Cold Play, and Trapt, recent movies such as Legally Blonde 2, The Hulk, Pirates of the Caribbean and Freaky Friday, and popular television shows including The Practice and Watching Ellie. FACE, which will be shown in more than 2,000 high schools nationwide, also features poignant true stories that tell the negative impact underage drinking has had on young lives -- and the devastation it has had on their friends and families.
The Webcast also featured presentations by two teens. Emily Vinyard, an 18-year old student at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., and recovering alcoholic, related her personal experiences with underage alcohol use and her passion about preventing underage drinking through MADD's Youth In Action program.
Vinyard said, "As a former teen alcoholic, I understand how powerful peer pressure can be and I think FACE is great because it shows that everyone makes mistakes. True character comes from learning from those mistakes and moving on to make positive, healthy choices."
MADD National Youth Board Member Justin Saint Cyr, 18, discussed the importance of making sure parents, teachers and community leaders bring FACE to their schools. A native of Denville, New Jersey, Saint Cyr is a freshman at Tufts University.
Saint Cyr shared that, "Underage drinking seems to be everywhere. As an empowered young person, I challenge teenagers to stand up for what's right and healthy by avoiding alcohol and other drugs and to become positive role models in their communities."
Hamilton added, "We must work together to reduce underage drinking and the catastrophic damage and pain it inflicts on families all across America. The best way to start is by talking to our children, empowering and encouraging them to make the right choices and to help their friends do the same. Our hope is that FACE will break the ice and get this dialogue started in every household with teens."
Founded in 1980, MADD is the premiere organization working to fight drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD has approximately 600 affiliates and 2 million members nationwide. Parents and community and school leaders interested in booking FACE or other multimedia shows should call 1-800-GET-MADD or visit www.schoolassembly.org .
MADD's online press center can be found at www.madd.org/face .
A multimedia news release can be found at http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/MADD/11404/
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030421/MADDLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/madd/11404