Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

MADD and Nationwide Launch New Power of Parents Program for Middle School in Advance of PowerTalk 21
  • USA - English


News provided by

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Apr 02, 2015, 12:30 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

MADD's Power of Parents program
MADD's Power of Parents program

Dallas (PRWEB) April 02, 2015 -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD), National Presenting Sponsor Nationwide and National Supporting Partner GM Foundation today announced 21 days of activation, starting April 1st and culminating with PowerTalk 21® Day, April 21st, the national day for parents to talk with their children about alcohol. The 5th annual campaign launches the new Power of Parents® handbook for parents of middle schoolers (grades 6-8) to help them talk early and often about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking.

A new MADD/Nationwide Survey shows that about one-third of parents believe the ages in which to start talking with their children about alcohol are 14-18 in high school. Because research shows children start weighing the pros and cons of underage drinking as early as age 8, as 2nd-3rd graders in elementary school1, MADD urges parents to start talking much earlier and to keep talking as those perceptions about alcohol continue to form and change through age 21. View MADD’s infographic for a detailed look at our findings.

“It’s our responsibility as parents and adults to raise alcohol-free teens,” said MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church, whose 18-year-old son Dustin was killed by an underage drunk and drugged driver. “Underage drinking prevention is a cornerstone of MADD’s mission, and we’re committed to giving parents the tools they need to start and continue crucial and potentially lifesaving conversations about alcohol with their kids.”

Parents – not peers – remain the biggest influence on their children when it comes to alcohol. MADD’s new Power of Parents handbook for parents of middle schoolers builds on MADD’s original Power of Parents high school handbook (grades 9-12).

“Nationwide places a high priority on helping parents prevent injuries to their children, and our efforts with MADD to prevent underage drinking are an important component to achieving that,” said Bill Windsor, Nationwide Associate Vice President of Consumer Safety and MADD National Board Chair. “Expanding the Power of Parents program to include a middle school component means parents have what they need to help their children understand why they can – and should – wait until they’re 21 to drink alcohol.”

The MADD/Nationwide survey also reveals more than twice as many parents ranked drug use as the most important topic to discuss with their children as compared to underage drinking. A common misperception is that drugs are the leading harm when alcohol is still the number one drug of choice of youth and underage drinking kills more people than all other illegal drugs combined.2 In addition, parents ranked a total of eight social harms in order of importance, of which alcohol ranked seventh.

“We understand parents have many concerns to address as a family to keep their kids safe,” added Sheehey-Church. “We just want parents to know that alcohol often times plays a role in preventable consequences such as unplanned pregnancies, sexual assault, car crashes, drug use and alcoholism. Knowing this information is just another way they can protect their children, now and in the future.”

“There are consistent and clear messages from decades of research that there are no safe ways to ‘teach’ children or teens how to drink responsibly,” said Dr. Robert Turrisi, PhD, professor and researcher at Pennsylvania State University. “Data shows there is no point in time before the age of 21 where giving children access to alcohol, even tiny sips, helps protect them. In contrast, the studies show that when parents allow children having even small amounts those children are at a higher risk of: 1) drinking more when they are not with their parents, 2) drinking more often, and 3) experiencing more serious problems.”

Starting with Houston, Texas*, MADD is challenging mayors across the country to make the prevention of underage drinking a community-wide priority by encouraging parents to download MADD’s Power of Parents handbook during the 21 days of PowerTalk 21, April 1-21st.

“Too many young lives are being lost due to this problem,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “We must not stand by and allow this completely preventable situation to continue. I urge my fellow mayors across the country to join me in this challenge and to support parents’ efforts to prevent underage drinking.”

PowerTalk 21 is launching at a crucial time, when many teens will soon be attending celebratory events like proms and graduation parties, and where they may encounter more opportunities or peer pressure to drink. Nationally in 2013, of the traffic deaths that involved an underage driver, nearly one in four involved underage drinking.3

“Alongside MADD, we urge parents to talk with their teens, this spring and all year long, about how underage drinking is dangerous and can be deadly, especially delivering a strong message to not get into the car with someone who’s been drinking,” said Greg Martin with the GM Foundation.

Parents can enter to win prizes by visiting madd.org/PowerofParents to download a free handbook, register for a free online webinar on April 21st, or learn how to get involved in their local community.

Nationwide is the national presenting sponsor of Power of Parents and the GM Foundation is the national supporting partner. National program partners include the National Football League (NFL), National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), The Partnership at Drugfree.org, National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), Drug Free Action Alliance (DFAA), Driving School Association of the Americas (DSAA) and CASA Family Day. In Texas, Power of Parents is supported by the Texas Department of Transportation Highway Safety Program through the Take the Wheel program.

References:
1Brooke S. G. Molina, John E. Donovan and Katherine A. Belendiuk, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, November 2010; Donovan, John E., Molina, Brooke S. G. and Kelly, Thomas M., Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol 23(2), Jun 2009, 248-259.
2National Academies Press, 2003
3NHTSA 2013 FARS Data Query

*Footage of PowerTalk 21’s Houston launch event is available upon request.

Full results from the 2015 MADD/Nationwide survey are available upon request.

About Power of Parents® and PowerTalk 21®
Parents remain the number one influence on their teen’s decisions about drinking and the single biggest influence on their teen’s decision to not drink. PowerTalk 21 encourages parents to use MADD’s Power of Parents handbook to help initiate these conversations with their children. MADD partnered with Dr. Robert Turrisi from Pennsylvania State University and adapted his handbook model to reach parents of middle and high school students. The Power of Parents handbook is the cornerstone of this community-based program and is available free to communities through the website and through local parent workshops.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is celebrating its 35th anniversary by creating a future of NO MORE VICTIMSTM. MADD is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every ten minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end drunk driving through increased law enforcement, all offender ignition interlock laws and advanced vehicle technology. PowerTalk 21® is the national day for parents to talk with their teens about alcohol, using Power of Parents®’ proven approach to reduce underage drinking. Learn more by visiting MADD’s new website at madd.org or calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.

About Nationwide
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, the Nationwide frame mark, and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

About The GM Foundation
Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, the Environment and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. Funding of the GM Foundation comes solely from GM. The last contribution to the GM Foundation was made in 2001. For more information, visit http://www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

# # #

Heather Wedel, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, http://madd.org, +1 469-420-4544, [email protected]

Modal title

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.