Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

Pinning a corsage, tossing a cap -- many teens soon will make prom and graduation memories. While we want our youth to enjoy these special times, we also want them to make smart decisions, including not drinking alcohol.

Parents can help. According to the 2007 Roper Youth Report, nearly 70 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds say parents are the No. 1 influence on decisions about whether they drink alcohol.

At Matesich Distributing Co., we're parents, too, sharing the same concerns as every other parent about these issues. That's why we distribute free copies of "Family Talk About Drinking," which encourages parents to talk with their children about underage drinking.
Our "Prevent, Don't Provide" program reminds adults that supplying alcohol at teen parties is illegal and irresponsible.

To help prevent alcohol sales to minors, we also provide retailers with I.D.-checking materials and training to help them serve and sell alcohol responsibly.

Thanks to law enforcement and these kinds of community-based programs, we're making progress. According to the most recent "Monitoring the Future Study," the percentage of high-school seniors who reported having a drink in the last 30 days is at the lowest level since tracking began in 1975, 11 percent lower in 2007 than in 2000 and down 36 percent since 1982.

Let's all do our part to help teens create lasting memories by reminding them that underage drinking should not be part of the celebration.

Newark Advocate