Attorney General Knudsen Partners with Responsibility.org to Prevent Underage Drinking during Alcohol Responsibility Month
HELENA – Attorney General Austin Knudsen, in partnership with responsibility.org, released a public service announcement today encouraging parents and caregivers to talk to young Montanans about alcohol to prevent underage drinking this month during Alcohol Responsibility Month. The PSA emphasizes the importance of conversations in keeping underage drinking levels down.
The PSA can be viewed HERE and will be shared on audio and video streaming services state-wide throughout the month of April.
“I’m taking the opportunity this month to talk to my three kids about the dangers of drinking underage and I encourage all Montana parents and caregivers to do the same,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “It’s a great time to discuss your family’s expectations, values, and goals including the importance of staying substance free and saying ‘no’ to underage drinking.”
Nationally, underage drinking rates are still at pre-pandemic lows, with nearly six out of ten teens reporting they never consumed alcohol. According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report from 2021, 29,000 (25 percent) of Montanans ages 12 to 20 had used alcohol in the last month and the average age of initiation of alcohol use was 16. Additionally, eight traffic fatalities involved a 15 to 20-year-old driver with a blood alcohol concentration of over .01 percent.
“April is Alcohol Responsibility Month, and as we continue our mission to eliminate underage drinking, we want to remind parents how important conversations with their kids are. Our underage drinking prevention program, Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix, blends brain science and refusal strategies to help keep kids safe and substance-free,” Chris Swonger, President and CEO of Responsibility.org, said. “We have come so far together, but our work is not yet done. We want to continue to keep these statistics moving in the right direction.”
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About Responsibility.org
Responsibility.org is a national not-for-profit that aims to eliminate drunk driving and work with others to end all impaired driving, eliminate underage drinking, and empower adults to make a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices as part of a balanced lifestyle.
In 2003, Responsibility.org, alongside a team of educators and organizations specializing in elementary and middle schoolers, developed Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix. Ask, Listen, Learn is a completely free digital underage drinking prevention program for kids ages 9-13 (grades 4-8) and their parents and educators with the goal to reduce underage drinking. The information provided throughout the program guides adults with ways to start communicating with kids about alcohol and the developing brain – and how to continue talking to them as part of a lifetime of conversations. Ask, Listen, Learn is the most widely distributed underage drinking program of its kind.
Program content regarding the effects of alcohol on the developing brain was reviewed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and is consistent with currently available science. For more information, visit AskListenLearn.org.