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MADD Youth In Action

History of Youth In Action
In 1996, MADD announced its new partnership with concerned youth to combat underage drinking and the No. 1 drug problem among America's youth: ALCOHOL. Lack of enforcement of the 21 minimum drinking age law, easy access to alcohol, irresponsible alcohol marketing practices, lack of youth education and prevention programs, and parents who condone underage drinking as a rite of passage all contribute to alcohol being the No. 1 drug of choice among youth today. In response, MADD has developed a community based youth program called Youth In Action, or YIA.

Background
There are laws in all 50 states that make it illegal for people under 21 years of age to have alcohol. However, there are significant loopholes in those laws. Because of that, teenagers drink at parties, buy alcohol from liquor stores, drink and drive, and die from alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related crashes. These incidents are occurring at an alarming rate all across the country.

Bottom line: at some point in almost each of these situations, there was an adult who broke the law by supplying, providing, purchasing or accepting this activity as a "rite of passage." The blame for underage drinking cannot be completely placed on youth - our entire community that accepts underage drinking is at fault. And it must be changed in order to prevent further death and injury of our nation's young people. Youth In Action projects are based on recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences, “Reducing Underage Drinking” report. When used all together, YIA projects can successfully reduce the access of alcohol in your community and create lasting change!

Example Projects of Youth in Action
Alcohol Purchase Surveys
A young looking 21-year-old volunteer attempts to purchase alcohol without an ID. No actual purchase is made. It is merely a survey to see if the clerk would have sold alcohol to a presumed minor without ID. Communities are notified about stores that are complying with the law.

Compliance Checks
With the help of the local police department, young people act as underage buyers of alcohol. With police, they go into stores and attempt to purchase alcohol. If the clerks do not ask for ID and make the sale, the police may cite or arrest the store clerk.

Shoulder-Tap Surveys
With law enforcement present to ensure safety, a young person (or group of young people) approaches adults outside a retail store that sells alcohol and asks if the adult would be willing to purchase alcohol for them because they are too young to legally buy. Those that answer "yes" receive a card outlining the law and the penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor. Those that answer "no" are handed a card thanking them for serving their community by refusing to provide alcohol to a minor.

Sticker Shock
YIA teams meet with local retailers that sell alcohol and ask permission to place warning stickers on the packaging of alcohol products (primarily beer). The stickers are very visible and warn of the consequences of purchasing alcohol for people under the age of 21. This project is designed to remind adults that they can be arrested for purchasing alcohol for minors.

Roll Call Briefings
YIA teams set up meetings with their local police departments to make presentations at shift change meetings, known as Roll Call. Two or three YIA members go to the police station with an adult leader to speak to the officers to encourage them to enforce the Zero Tolerance Laws. Many YIA teams have printed cards or notepads to hand out outlining the laws and declaring their support for it.

Law Enforcement Special Recognition Program
YIA teams publicly honor local law enforcement officials who are working to prevent underage drinking and impaired driving. This can be done at a formal banquet, media event or at the police station. Some YIA teams have even had food brought to the stations or out to a location where police officers are working on the job. Either way, this is a unique opportunity for teens to thank police officers for doing their job.

Media Advocacy
Media advocacy is used to further YIA’s mission and enhance the environmental strategies. Whenever a team works on a YIA project, they are encouraged to send out press releases, write letters to the Editor of their local newspaper, and invite media participation. The more the people of the community know about the results of for example, a Shoulder-Tap Survey, the more aware of underage drinking prevention they will be, and the more likely adults will be to change their attitudes. Community members want to know that the youth are safe and not at risk. Also, the media provides a great tool to show off all the positive things teens are doing in the community!

MADD Youth In Action
Youth in Action National Coordinator
MADD National
511 E. John Carpenter Fwy, # 700
Irving, TX 75062
800-GET-MADD
http://www.youthinaction.org/