MADD News:

New Pledge Campaign, #ProtectUrSelfie invites teens to say no to alcohol

Teen alcohol use kills about 4,700 each year, more than all illegal drugs combined. In connection with Red Ribbon Week Oct. 23-31, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) New Mexico is launching a new social media pledge campaign that asks teens to #ProtectUrSelfie by staying alcohol-free until 21 and never getting in the car with a drinking driver.

This takes the place of the traditional pen and paper pledge and asks teens to grab a couple of friends and invite other peers to take a “selfie” with their mobile phones. By using the special hashtag and posting their selfie on their social media channels, they can show their friends that when it comes to drinking underage, not everyone is doing it, and encourage others to do the same by taking the pledge as well.

“MADD New Mexico is eager to educate our youth about the dangers of underage drinking,” said Jorge Gonzales of MADD NM. “Teens who do not drink alcohol until they are 21 are 85 percent less likely to be in a motor vehicle crash because of their drinking later in life, compared to those who drink before age 14. Therefore, it’s our hope that our outreach, especially during Red Ribbon Week, will help teens to realize the power in saying “no” to alcohol.”

MADD New Mexico works with schools to encourage underage drinking prevention to youth around the country every October during Red Ribbon Week and throughout the year. MADD’s Power of You(th)® program, sponsored by State Farm®, empowers teens to resist peer pressure and influence other teens to make smart decisions about not drinking alcohol before they turn 21, or getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.

For more information about Power of You(th), visit www.madd.org/powerofyouth.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Founded by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. With the help of those who want a safer future, MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end this danger on America’s roads. PowerTalk 21® is the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol, using the proven strategies of Power of Parents® to reduce the risk of underage drinking. And as one of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every 8.6 minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP. Learn more at www.madd.org or by calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.