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New Effort to Combat Underage Drinking |
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Thursday, 11 March 2010 11:14 |
The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and Discovery Education join forces to form a new partnership creating the "It's 21. Just Pass" initiative.
"WSWA is committed to community programs that address underage access to alcohol," says Craig Wolf, president and CEO, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. "By partnering with NFLPA and Discovery Education, we've leveraged high-profile sports personalities and a very credible educational resource to help us develop an innovative campaign that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to become an industry leader in social responsibility."
The initiative is designed to reinforce the message that the legal drinking age is 21 and challenge high school students' knowledge about the laws and consequences of underage drinking. "It's 21. Just Pass" has launched in 21 cities across the country.
The central component of this effort is the "It's 21. Just Pass" challenge, which targets high school students and features:
- A quiz that challenges students' current knowledge while providing critical information about the laws and consequences related to underage drinking
- A drawing to award one $5,000 scholarship (students become eligible by taking a short online quiz)
- An assembly featuring an NFL player, awarded to the school with the highest challenge participation levels
In addition, the "It's 21. Just Pass" online video forum encourages students to create short videos about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking for a chance to win two tickets to an area NFL game.
"The NFLPA proudly supports all of its players in their community service endeavors," says George Atallah, NFLPA assistant executive director external affairs. "Ventures like 'It's 21. Just Pass' give these player role models an invaluable platform to spread a positive message."
Mary Rollins, vice president of education partnerships, Discovery Education, adds, "Discovery Education is committed to empowering educators with the tools and resources that engage students in learning each and every day—whether those lessons are about the solar system or the consequences of underage drinking. We are pleased to partner with WSWA and NFLPA on the It's 21. Just Pass initiative, and look forward to collaborating on this joint mission to educate teachers, parents and students about the dangers of underage drinking."
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