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Greetings!
It's that time again! Time to say good-bye to another summer and hello
to another school year. Now that you are back in school, it is time to
start getting your school involved in alcohol prevention activities.
Parties will also be surfacing, especially when Homecoming rolls around.
Support your friends and classmates by offering fun alternatives to
parties where alcohol is present. (Not everyone knows how to have fun
without alochol --let's show them.) Your school and community will support
you as well as parents-heck, they might donate items to help you plan
these alternative events. The new school year is exciting and so much
awaits you in the upcoming year. Let's work together to keep you, your
friends, and your classmates safe!
Dealing with friends that choose to drink.... 
Your friends are very important to you. You spend a lot of time with
them and are connected with them on a different level than other people
are. So what do you do if they decide to start drinking alcohol? We all
know that it is illegal to drink alcohol if you are under the age of 21,
but unfortunately teens still choose to start drinking. Some teens are
able to buy their own alcohol, or some have older adults buy it for them.
The one thing you do know is that if they continue to drink, they will
hurt themselves and others. The human brain doesn't fully develop until
age 21, so any drinking done before that time can and does affect the
brain in negative ways.
So back to the original question, what do you do if a friend decides to
start drinking?
**If it is a good friend, sit down and talk to them. Find out why they
have started drinking. Maybe they need to talk about these feelings with
someone. **Encourage them to stop drinking and help them do it. Take them
to the movies, go get a cup of coffee, have a fun, alcohol-free party and
let them help you plan it. **Inform them of the harmful effects of
underage drinking. Also let them know that the people providing the
alcohol to them are violating the law and harming him or her. **Help them
talk to their parents about their drinking. Their parents can help them
stay alcohol-free too. (This can be hard, but most parents will
understand. They are concerned about the welfare of their child.) **Most
importantly, be there for them. Listen to them and help them out anyway
you can. Besides, isn't that what friends are for?
For more information on how alcohol affects youth and adults click
below, or contact Missouri's Youth/Adult Alliance at 573.635.6669.
Alcohol effects...
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Starting an Underage Drinking Prevention Group
for Teens in Your Community |
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 Starting an underage prevention group in the
community can be a big task. Trust me, it is easer than it sounds.
Here are a few suggestions and tips to get you on your way!
*Why do you want to form a coalition/group? *If it is a youth
coalition, find an adult to support you. *What will your focus/key
message be be? (Prevention, policy, etc.) *What key members do you
need to include in your coalition/group? *Who do you want involved?
*Where and when will your coalition/group meet? *Who will lead this
coalition/group? *Advertise and invite members. *Schedule regular
meetings. *Make it fun!!
For more information about starting a coalition or group in your
community, contact Missouri's Youth/Adult Alliance at 573.635.6669.
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Youth from Missouri Attend National Youth
Advocacy Assembly in Washington DC |
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 Six youth from Missouri traveled to Washington DC in
June to learn about advocacy around the issue of underage drinking.
The workshops taught a variety of topics like coalition building,
Media Advocacy, Prevention efforts on college campuses, Planning a
youth summit, Alcohol tax increase tatics, and the Messages the
alcohol industry sends through advertising. A media event was also
held during the summit. All the participants traveled to the Beer
Institute and rallied outside. The Beer Institute is an organization
that represents the industry before Congress, state legislatures,
and public forums across the country. The summit participants wanted
the Beer Institute to know that the ads children and youth see are
targeted to them and not the adult audiences the industry claims to
be targeting. A few participants, including one from Missouri, had
the opportunity to attend a meeting with the Beer Institute
president, Jeff Becker. They shared their thoughts and concerns with
him during this meeting. The president recommended that when an ad
was seen that was targeting the wrong age group, send it to him
accompanied by an explanation of why you feel it was targeted to
underage people. If you would like to send inappropiate ads to the
Beer Institute, use the address below. Include a letter about why
the ad is inappropriate.
Beer Institute Attn: Jeff Becker
122 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
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The National Youth Advocacy Assembly: Stories
from Youth |
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 Written by April Brown,
TeenNet-Springfield, MO 2003 NYAA Participant
I learned many things while at NYAA that I have found useful in
my daily life. From identifying flaws in advertisements to knowing
how to get my peers involved in an activity. Since NYAA, I have
helped get a group organized in college no less! I learned how to
design a successful flier that attracted this group to organize. I
know that throughout my life I will continuously use these skills to
organize groups of all ages.
Written by Amanda Potter, TeenNet, Springfield, MO 2003 NYAA
Participant
My first NYAA expierence was something I will never forget. I
went to seminars thoughout the time I was there. But the one thing I
will never forget is the rally outside of the Beer Institute. It was
awesome. There were youth everywhere, yelling chants, holding up
posters, and most importantly fighting for something that we
believed in. I will never forget the faces of those passing by on
the street, some even stopped and asked us what we were protesting.
It was truely a great expierence. I enjoyed meeting new people from
other states and learning about what they were trying to accomplish
in their states. Whether it be a policy or compliance checks, all
the ideas brought to the assembly were fantastic. I came home to my
coalition and shared many ideas.
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Know someone that would like to get involved in
MYAA?? |
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 If you someone that is committed to
preventing underage drinking, let MYAA know. MYAA coalition members
advocate for environmental and social policy change throughout the
state. We need members from all areas of the state, men and women,
young or old.
Contact MYAA if you or someone you know is interested in joining
MYAA. 573.635.6669
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