Press Release

Data Driven Programs at Root of Continued Decline in Underage Drinking

Washington, DC —  According to the 2005 Monitoring The Future Study,
since 1992 underage drinking is down for both girls and boys — underage
alcohol consumption among 8th grade, 10th grade and 12th grade boys and
girls measured by lifetime consumption, annual consumption and thirty
day consumption are all down. Since 1991, The Century Council, a
national not-for-profit organization funded by America’s leading
distilled spirits producers, has been at the forefront of developing
cutting edge programs to help fight underage drinking among our
nation’s youth. In particular, the Council has long recognized the
unique consequences and challenges faced by our nation’s teenage girls.
Recognizing the key role that mothers play in teenagers’ decision to
drink, or not, the Council commissioned research among mothers and
daughters on the issue of underage drinking. The data showed that
mothers of teenage daughters underestimate the occurrence of underage
drinking among their own daughters and misjudge the seriousness of the
issue. To address this gap in knowledge and understanding of the
prevalence of underage drinking, The Century Council announced the
release of a new program, Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of
Underage Drinking.

<!-- Quote --><!-- Freestyle HTML container --><!-- Rest of Release - Mapeol -->
Significant survey findings include the following:
Mothers significantly underestimate daughter’s experience with alcohol
• 16% of 13-15 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 5% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;
• 30% of 16-18 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 9% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;
• 51% of 19-21 year old girls say they drink with friends and only 32% of their mothers thought they were drinking.

Alarmingly, mothers say underage drinking is acceptable
• Nearly half (49%) of mothers of teenage girls say it is okay for their daughters to drink;
• 38% of mothers say it is okay for their daughters to drink on special occasions;
• 21% of mothers say it is okay to drink under parental supervision at home;
• 20% of mothers say drinking alcohol is a natural part of growing up.

“These data illustrate a disturbing misperception among moms about the
seriousness of problems associated with alcohol consumption by their
teenage daughters,” said Century Council Chairman, Susan Molinari.

Released in December 2005, The Century Council launched a new public
awareness campaign entitled, Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of
Underage Drinking, to improve dialogue among mothers and daughters and
prevent underage drinking. The campaign is designed to help mothers
initiate and sustain conversations about alcohol. The program includes:
• A website, www.girlsanddrinking.org, for mothers and daughters;
• Booklets for mothers, detailing how to begin and sustain the conversation;
• A Blog, under construction;
• A media partnership with The N, a nighttime network for teens.
Featured on NBC’s Today Show, among others, to date, Girl Talk’s
message has reached millions of mothers and daughters across the
country.

Girl Talk is in keeping with the Council’s long history of developing
content specific to young women including video segments and health
messages featured in Alcohol 101 Plus (2001) and its predecessor
program Alcohol 101 (1997). For more information about The Century and
its programs visit www.centurycouncil.org

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CENTURY COUNCIL ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW AND COMMENT
CONTACT MARIA TILDON 202.637.0077

Launched in 1991, The Century Council is funded by
America's leading distillers. The Council's mission is to promote
responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol and discourage
all forms of irresponsible consumption through education,
communications, research, law enforcement and other programs. For more
information on the Council, log onto www.centurycouncil.org.