2024 Highlight Reel

See how we mobilized our communities to work together and prevent underage drinking like never before. 

2024 Annual Report

Read about the success of the Parents Empowered campaign this year as we worked with a coalition of partners to prevent underage drinking. 

Haunted Parrot

Parrots watching horror movies is a bad idea. Underage drinking is an even worse idea. 

The Tin Man

Don’t wire your brain for addiction. Talk to your children and set clear NO alcohol rules today. 

Start early

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends talking to kids about underage drinking as early as age 9.1 Research shows kids are making up their minds about alcohol between the ages of 9 to 13 and those perceptions can become more favorable as they mature. And if they view it as pleasurable, they’re much more likely to drink underage.2 If your child is older, it’s never too late to start the discussion.

All kids need a parent’s help to stay alcohol-free

As a parent, you can help keep kids’ brains healthy and their futures bright, free from the harms of alcohol.

Here’s how:

Know and teach the harms early

Research shows you should talk to your kids about alcohol as early as age 9.2

Teach the Harms

Have fun together

When you spend time in your child’s world, they’ll listen when you speak from yours.

Have Fun

Set clear no-alcohol rules

Have a chat tonight. Make your disapproval of underage drinking clear by setting rules against it.

Chat & Set Rules

Know what your kids are doing

Get involved in your child’s activities—ask the 5 Ws and know what’s going on.

Check In
Picture of kid with a backpack

Your influence is powerful

That’s the great news! Utah kids report the number one reason they choose not to drink is their parents’ strong disapproval.3

 

Picture of kid with a backpack

Why prevent underage drinking?

Because it protects a child’s future. Alcohol affects a young, still developing brain very differently than an adult’s brain, impairing proper development and increasing risks of addiction, depression, suicide, injury, violence, academic problems and more.4

Learn the Harms

How can I help prevent my kid from drinking underage?

Here are some suggestions that can help keep your child alcohol-free. Spend fun time together, set clear “no alcohol” rules and stay involved in your kid’s life.

Learn How

Resources

Get the tools and help you need to prevent underage drinking here—everything from conversation starters, podcasts, games to play, videos to watch and so much more.

Resources

Social media updates

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Creating close bonds with your kids is one of the most effective ways to avoid underage drinking.💞 One effective way of building that bond is by making sure you maintain a healthy balance of praise and critique.🙏

Learn more at biasbehavioral.com/four-simple-ways-to-use-a-4-to-1-ratio-of-positive-praise-that-actually-work/

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah #parentsempoweredmonth
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Creating close bonds with your kids is one of the most effective ways to avoid underage drinking.💞 One effective way of building that bond is by making sure you maintain a healthy balance of praise and critique.🙏 

Learn more at https://biasbehavioral.com/four-simple-ways-to-use-a-4-to-1-ratio-of-positive-praise-that-actually-work/ 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #ParentsEmpoweredMonth

There are many things that can cause underage drinking.👎 By knowing and understanding these influences, you can help your child avoid it entirely.👍

Learn more about underage drinking at www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah #parentsempoweredmonth
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There are many things that can cause underage drinking.👎 By knowing and understanding these influences, you can help your child avoid it entirely.👍

Learn more about underage drinking at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking  

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #ParentsEmpoweredMonth

1 CommentComment on Facebook

My kids may not drink but I'm a slobbering drunk after having to watch your commercial so much least I'm drunk in my swim spa 🖕

There are so many ways to spend time with your kids.🏀 🏈

Check out our suggestions, then find other ways to have fun at zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah #parentsempoweredmonth
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There are so many ways to spend time with your kids.🏀 🏈

Check out our suggestions, then find other ways to have fun at https://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/ 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #ParentsEmpoweredMonth

All parents should make sure their child isn’t engaging in underage drinking. 🙅 In 2023, nearly 1/5th of all U.S. children aged 14-15 reported having at least one drink in their lifetime.

Learn more at www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #ParentsEmpoweredMonth
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All parents should make sure their child isn’t engaging in underage drinking. 🙅 In 2023, nearly 1/5th of all U.S. children aged 14-15 reported having at least one drink in their lifetime. 

Learn more at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #ParentsEmpoweredMonth

With New Year’s right around the corner, parents should be making sure their children aren’t engaging in underage drinking. This holiday is popular for drinking, and you should make sure your kids are prepared to enjoy it safe and sober.🎇 🎆

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #NewYears
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With New Year’s right around the corner, parents should be making sure their children aren’t engaging in underage drinking. This holiday is popular for drinking, and you should make sure your kids are prepared to enjoy it safe and sober.🎇 🎆

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #NewYears

If you can manage to keep your kids from underage drinking, studies have shown that they’ll virtually never abuse it for the rest of their life.🚫🍷 Work on communicating and building trust with your child so you can share in this achievement and keep them from a life of alcohol abuse. 😇

Learn more about how to talk about underage drinking at parentsempowered.org/how/chat-set-rules/

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah
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If you can manage to keep your kids from underage drinking, studies have shown that they’ll virtually never abuse it for the rest of their life.🚫🍷 Work on communicating and building trust with your child so you can share in this achievement and keep them from a life of alcohol abuse. 😇

Learn more about how to talk about underage drinking at https://parentsempowered.org/how/chat-set-rules/ 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah

In the News

Underage drinking can be a serious threat to our children and communities. Learn about the latest research and efforts to prevent it.

ABC4 David Wakins TV Coverage

Fox13 SeaQuest Coverage

KUTV Springbreak Takeover

KUTV Alcohol Awareness Month

Fresh Living TV Coverage

DABC TV Coverage

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About Us

Our goal is to eliminate underage drinking in Utah. We do that by empowering parents to use the tremendous influence they have to keep their children alcohol-free.

Learn More

Our Partners

The Parents Empowered Mission

Meet Tiffany Clason. She’s the Executive Director at the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). But she’s also a mom. She knows that parents staying involved and having those important “no underage drinking” conversations are crucial to a child’s future success.

Sources

1 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention [SHARP] Survey, 2019.
2 https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/3/e718

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3 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention [SHARP] Survey, 2019.
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK37591/

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