(OLYMPIA) - One of the most effective strategies to help prevent underage drinking is to get young people to start talking to their parents about alcohol use. Studies have shown that children who have held frank and informed discussions about alcohol with their parents are much less likely to experiment with it.

Underage drinking is a leading public health problem in Washington. A 2005 survey conducted by the Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, found that more than one in five eighth graders had recently used alcohol. Recent research has confirmed that alcohol use can seriously damage teen brain development.

To help prevent and reduce underage drinking, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) is coordinating assemblies in 15 Washington middle schools this fall to raise awareness about the harmful effects of early alcohol use and to get students and their parents talking about the issue.

Titled “Start Talking Before They Start Drinking,” the campaign is the first step in a larger effort by the Liquor Control Board and other state prevention and education organizations to expand alcohol education programs in the schools. The first assembly will be held at 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 2006, at Oakland Bay Junior High in Shelton. (Subsequent assemblies are on the attached list).

The assemblies will feature presentations by Attorney General Rob McKenna; Miss Washington (Kristen Eddings); John Batiste, Chief of the Washington State Patrol and a special appearance by the Washington National Guard Drug Demand Reduction team, who will arrive by helicopter to kick off each school assembly.

Students who attend the assemblies will receive a simple questionnaire to fill out with their parents after the assembly. If they bring the signed questionnaire back to school, they will receive a free, glow-in-the-dark wristband with the message “Too Smart To Start.”

Follow-up assemblies and visits are planned for next spring at additional middle schools throughout the state.

The National Guard team, which focuses on both drug and alcohol education and conducts outreach programs for at-risk youth, has pledged to attend all 15 assemblies. A two-or three-person team will arrive at each school by helicopter and will encourage schools to sign up for their free in-depth programs offered next spring.

The “Start Talking Before They Start Drinking” campaign is, in part, an outgrowth of efforts by key federal agencies involved in alcohol prevention, research, education and treatment, to promote a more coordinated national effort to address underage drinking. The campaign features public service announcements, educational materials, and links to Web sites with additional information.

In 2005, the Washington State Legislature approved an Alcohol Awareness Manager position for the WSLCB to expand the Board’s alcohol education efforts and to develop specific programs aimed at middle and high school students. The effort adds an extra dimension to the agency’s enforcement, education and licensing programs, all aimed at reducing sale to minors and alcohol misuse.

“This is the first wholly collaborative effort between state agencies focused on middle school students. We have representation from the prevention, enforcement, treatment, and education communities,” said Merritt D. Long, Chairman of the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

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