MADD and State Farm™ Launch Back to School Campaign to Fight Underage Drinking
Denver, Colorado (September 1, 2017) – The Colorado Affiliate of Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) launched its 2017 Power of You(th)® Back to School radio pledge campaign on KS 107.5FM. As part of the radio campaign, teens have the opportunity to pledge to protect themselves and to protect their friends from underage drinking. All teens who make a #ProtectUrSelfie pledge will be entered in a contest to win a new Amazon Echo Show or a $100 gift card.
MADD’s Power of You(th) program empowers teens to prevent underage drinking. While the number of drunk driving deaths in the U.S. has been cut in half since MADD started, teen alcohol use still kills about 4,300 people each year—more than all other illegal drugs combined. Research also shows that:
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver.
- Teens who do not drink alcohol until they are 21 are 85% less likely to be in a motor vehicle crash because of their drinking later in life than those who drank before age 14.
- Results from a 2015 public opinion survey from MADD and State Farm showed that one in four teens is willing to ride with a driver who has been drinking and one in three teens has been a passenger with a drinking driver in the past year.
In Colorado, State Farm awarded MADD a $30,000 community grant to prevent underage drinking through the Power of You(th) program. MADD and State Farm have partnered for events like the #ProtectUrSelfie Back to School campaign and Red Ribbon Week, a week to encourage teens to choose a drug free lifestyle.
“The choices teens make today are setting the foundation for their future,” said Fran Lanzer, MADD Colorado Executive Director. “Our goal with for the Power of You(th) is to encourage teens to stay on a positive path and join the majority of teens who do not drink so they can reach their goals. We’re proud to work with State Farm on this lifesaving initiative.”
“State Farm is committed to helping teens and young adults understand the importance of staying safe and sober behind the wheel,” said State Farm Community Specialist Tamara Pachl. “Together with MADD, State Farm is encouraging students to take a stand against underage drinking by sharing positive messages with their peers, engaging their high schools in the conversation and motivating students to inspire healthy behaviors within their communities.”
In addition to the #ProtectUrSelfie Back to School campaign, MADD and State Farm will launch a second campaign for honor of Red Ribbon week during the last week of October. MADD Colorado, along with KS 107.5FM, will hold a series of contests at the 13th Floor Haunted House to give teens another important opportunity to fight underage drinking.
Since 2013 the Colorado Affiliate of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has received nearly $120,000 in auto safety grant support from State Farm.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving®
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD has helped to save more than 350,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. Visit www.madd.org or call 1-877-ASK-MADD.
About State Farm™
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its nearly 19,000 agents and nearly 70,000 employees serve more than 84 million policies and accounts – more than 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies, and more than 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 33 on the 2017 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
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