Underage Drinking

Support HHS/SAMHSA's #WeTaled Thunderclap Campaign and Help Prevent Underage Drinking 

It’s never too early for parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of underage drinking – 10% of 9- to 10-year-olds have already tried alcohol,[1] and about one fifth of underage drinkers begin before they are 13 years old.[2] But parents have a significant influence on whether their kids drink,[3] and can help prevent underage drinking by talking to their kids early and often about the dangers of alcohol.

As part of its “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is encouraging parents, caregivers, and other adult role models to have ongoing conversations with kids about underage drinking, and then share their experiences on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag #WeTalked. Using #WeTalked spreads the message about underage drinking prevention, and encourages other parents to have these important conversations too.

To amplify this important message, SAMHSA created a Thunderclap campaign. Thunderclap is a free online tool that enables Facebook and Twitter users to schedule #WeTalked posts to go live at the exact same moment as other parents’ posts – allowing a single message to be mass-shared, flash mob-style.

Please share your voice and support underage drinking prevention and the #WeTalked hashtag by signing up for the #WeTalked Underage Drinking Thunderclap, and inspire others to show their support by sharing this link on social media:http://thndr.me/0N6GeZ! 

You can also to check out SAMHSA’s underage drinking prevention website for resources to help guide the conversation, including the interactive “Talk. They Hear You.” app that helps you practice for some of the most important conversations you may ever have

[1] Donovan, J., Leech, S., Zucker, R., Loveland-Cherry, C., Jester, J., Fitzgerald, H., et al.  (2004). Really underage drinkers: Alcohol use among elementary students. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 28(2), 341–349.

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012a). Summary health statistics for U.S. children: National Health Interview Survey, 2011. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_254.pdf

[3] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Educators. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.