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D.U.M.B. (Drinking Underage Maims the Brain)
Top 10 Things Parents Can Do

  1. Talk to your children. It might not seem like it, but kids listen to their parents. Discuss the long-term consequences of drinking in a way that they will hear it and make them think twice before making an irreversible mistake.
    links to web sites about talking to children:
    http://www.talkingwithkids.org/drugs.html
    http://www.realsolutions.org/famtalk.htm
    http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/alcohol.html
    http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/articles_talktokids.html

  2. Voice your concerns to television executives. Television is a powerful influence on children, and misleading images of alcohol consumption as normal and glamorous fail to mention the consequences. Networks and cable stations knowingly allow alcohol ads to air to underage viewers, and we encourage you to email the following executives to demand they agree to the following AMA pledge:
    PLEDGE ITEMS:
    No alcohol ads on programs before 10 pm
    No alcohol ads on programs with 15% or more underage viewers
    No alcohol ads depicting mascots, cartoons or other characters targeted to younger viewers.


    DIRECT EMAIL LINKS TELEVISION:
    NBC Gary.sheffer@corporate.ge.com
    Robert.wright@nbc.com
    nbctv@nbci.com
    CBS audsvcs@cbs.com
    FOX askfox@foxinc.com
    ABC netaudr@abc.com
    WB faces@talk.thewb.com
    Showtime CEO - Matthew Bank
    matthew.bank@showtime.net Advertising
    Sales Executive VP- Jeff Wadejeff.wade@showtime.net
    Advertising Sales Senior VP- Stephanie Gibbons
    Stephanie.gibbons@showtime.net
    Discovery john_hendricks@discovery.com
    Advertising Sales President- Joseph Abruzzese
    Joe_abruzzese@discovery.com
    HBO & Cinemax President and CEO - Chris Albrecht
    chris.Albrecht@hbo.com
    Advertising Sales VP- Courteney Freedman
    courteney.freedman@hbo.com
    MTV MTV Chairman - Tom Freston
    tom.freston@mtv.com
    MTV Presidents - Judith McGrath
    Judith.mcgrath@mtv.com
    and Van Toffler
    van.toffler@mtv.com
    CNN Chairman - Walter Isaacson
    wlater.isaacson@turner.com
    Advertising Sales President- Larry Goodman
    larry.Goodman@turner.com
    TNT/TBS President - Bradley Siegel
    brad.siegel@turner.com
    Advertising Sales Senior VPs - Linda Yaccarino
    Linda.yaccarino@turner.com
    and Keith Bowen
    keith.bowen@turner.com
    ESPN Advertising Sales Manager- Alison Lazar
    lazara@espn.com
    Executive Vice-President - Steve Anderson
    andersons@espn.com
    USA Network CEO - Barry Diller
    bdiller@usacable.net
    USA Advertising Sales President- Jeff Lucas
    jlucas@usacable.net
    VH1 President - Judith McGrath
    judith.mcgrath@mtv.com
    FX President & CEO - Peter Liguori
    pliguori@fxnetworks.com
    E! President & CEO - Mindy Herman
    mherman@eentertainment.com


    EMAIL LINKS TO ORGANIZATIONS ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISING STANDARDS ON TV:
    standards@talk.thewb.com
    fccingo@fcc.gov
    diageofoundation@diageo.com
    communications@centurycouncil.org

  3. Examine Other Alcohol Advertising and Marketing Practices. Recent studies prove how harmful a child's exposure to alcohol advertising can be. Urge your legislators to call on the Federal Trade Commission and Congress to hold hearings on the issue and develop mandatory standards to prevent the targeting of young people.
    http://camy.org

    4. Expand Physician Involvement. Physicians can detect alcohol problems through physical exams and medical histories as well as indicators such as depression. Ask your physician about their ability to screen for alcohol abuse and request that their screening and intervention skills are updated.

    5. Increase Alcohol Excise Taxes. Economic studies indicate that price increases reduce alcohol consumption among young people. And alcohol tax revenues could be used to support programs regarding prevention, treatment, law enforcement and research. Urge your state legislature to increase alcohol excise taxes.
    http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L

    6. Step Up Enforcement. Too many adults fail to take underage drinking seriously. Law enforcement must enforce existing regulations and laws, and the judicial system must strictly apply existing laws and penalties. Urge your local and state law enforcement officials to enforce underage drinking laws and communicate to violators that there are lasting legal and consequences as well as physical.
    http://www.udetc.org/Law.htm

    7. Implement Comprehensive School Health Programs. Comprehensive school programs addressing preventable, unhealthy behaviors should exist in every school district and be taught by health educators, substance abuse prevention professionals and trained school nurses. They should begin in kindergarten, and teachers should receive training to detect alcohol abuse. Ask your school board to implement these programs.

    8. Improve Product Labeling. Alcohol should be labeled to warn people of the dangers and negative health effects of alcohol. Just as Congress mandated warning labels for tobacco products and advertising, it should require prominent warning labels in highly visible locations on alcoholic beverages and advertising. Urge your members of Congress to mandate such labeling.
    http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L

    9. Develop and Fund Counter Advertising and Public Awareness Campaigns. Public information campaigns should be resumed that highlight the problems of underage drinking, its serious effects on children and prevention strategies. Call on national and voluntary organizations, such as the Ad Council and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, to conduct public health campaigns on alcohol.
    http://www.adcouncil.org
    http://www.drugfreeamerica.org

    10. Expand Research on the Harmful Effects of Alcohol on Adolescents. More research must be conducted on the harmful effects of alcohol on adolescents and on state-of-the-art prevention approaches and environmental policy changes. Click here to learn more and urge Congress to fund more research on the effects of alcohol on youth.
    AMOD PROJECT OVERVIEW
    RUDC PROJECT OVERVIEW


    return to December 9, 2002 Index