2023 Highlight Reel

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

2023 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. 

A Better Ending

Rock on. Help your child’s story have a better ending by strongly disapproving of underage drinking. 

Baker Boys

Alcohol can wire a kid’s brain for addiction. For a better ending to their story, strongly disapprove of underage drinking. 

80’s Movie

Alcohol can disrupt the learning center of the brain. Fight for their future by letting your kids know that you completely disapprove of underage drinking. 

The Writer

Help your kids imagine a better ending. Strongly disapprove of underage drinking so their brain’s problem solving abilities avoid getting harmed 

The Tinkerers

Spend time with your kids. Help them say “no” to underage drinking to invent a better ending to their story. 

A Soccer Story

No underage drinking is an important goal. To help your child reach it, strongly disapprove of underage drinking. 

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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🎃Happy Halloween🎃 We hope you all have a wonderful time with your kids, just remember to stay safe and continue to show love to the little monsters in your life! 👿👹 See MoreSee Less

🎃Happy Halloween🎃 We hope you all have a wonderful time with your kids, just remember to stay safe and continue to show love to the little monsters in your life! 👿👹

1 CommentComment on Facebook

I want to tell you how great the parrot watching horror movies commercial is.

Building the trust between you and your children is extremely necessary in teaching them how to avoid underage drinking.💞 One way to monitor your own relationship with your children is to do a regular closeness check to see if anything needs to be done. Doing this is a great step towards ensuring your child avoids alcohol.🙌

Learn how to build trust with your child at parentsempowered.org/how/have-fun/

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah
See MoreSee Less

Building the trust between you and your children is extremely necessary in teaching them how to avoid underage drinking.💞 One way to monitor your own relationship with your children is to do a regular closeness check to see if anything needs to be done. Doing this is a great step towards ensuring your child avoids alcohol.🙌

Learn how to build trust with your child at https://parentsempowered.org/how/have-fun/ 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah

Every parent should know that if your kid engages in underage drinking, that they have a much greater chance of becoming dependent on alcohol later in life.👎😟 Underage drinkers were found to be 4x more likely to be alcohol-dependent than children who waited until 21 for their first drink.

Understanding the life-long risks associated with underage drinking is a great first step in avoiding the risk posed to your family.😁👍

Learn more about the risks at parentsempowered.org/why/addiction/

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah
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Every parent should know that if your kid engages in underage drinking, that they have a much greater chance of becoming dependent on alcohol later in life.👎😟 Underage drinkers were found to be 4x more likely to be alcohol-dependent than children who waited until 21 for their first drink. 

Understanding the life-long risks associated with underage drinking is a great first step in avoiding the risk posed to your family.😁👍

Learn more about the risks at https://parentsempowered.org/why/addiction/ 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah

When it comes to underage drinking, how and when you communicate with your kids plays a crucial part in deterring risks.🤝 Find time to make small chats a regular part of your home-life, whether it’s at meals, in the car, or doing things together.👨

Learn about the importance of chatting with your kids at www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/parent-resources/small-conversations

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah
See MoreSee Less

When it comes to underage drinking, how and when you communicate with your kids plays a crucial part in deterring risks.🤝 Find time to make small chats a regular part of your home-life, whether it’s at meals, in the car, or doing things together.👨 

Learn about the importance of chatting with your kids at https://www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/parent-resources/small-conversations 

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah

Congratulations to the Morgan C.A.R.E.S coalition on their 3rd Annual Family Dinner Night & Pickleball Event! The youth coalition was able to feed over 500 attendees and help promote bonding and pro-social behaviors to keep Utah kids alcohol-free. Through the Parents Empowered community partnership projects each family was able to leave with a pickleball set to continue bonding at home. See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to the Morgan C.A.R.E.S coalition on their 3rd Annual Family Dinner Night & Pickleball Event! The youth coalition was able to feed over 500 attendees and help promote bonding and pro-social behaviors to keep Utah kids alcohol-free. Through the Parents Empowered community partnership projects each family was able to leave with a pickleball set to continue bonding at home.Image attachmentImage attachment+8Image attachment

Alcohol addiction often leads to drug addiction. Finding time to talk with your kids about your expectations for them can do more than just avoid underage drinking. 💀💉

Learn more at parentsempowered.org/why/addiction/

#ParentsEmpowered #underagedrinkingprevention #Utah
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Alcohol addiction often leads to drug addiction. Finding time to talk with your kids about your expectations for them can do more than just avoid underage drinking. 💀💉

Learn more at https://parentsempowered.org/why/addiction/ 

#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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