Press Release

Public service announcements to air statewide urging parents to speak up and discourage underage drinking

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Attorney General Catherine
Cortez Masto; Chris Kennedy, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America,
Inc.; Glenn Morrison, Southern Wine & Spirits; Sheriff  Douglas
Gillespie, Las Vegas Metro Police Department; and Erik Strickland of
The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO;
Future Brands LLC; Hood River Distillers, Inc; and Sidney Frank
Importing Co. Inc., joined forces today to launch a public awareness
campaign in Nevada to prevent underage drinking.  The initiative,
called “We Don’t Serve Teens,” was
developed by The Federal Trade Commission and is designed to inform
adults that providing underage drinkers with alcohol is unsafe,
illegal, and irresponsible.

Today’s launch at  Mr. Lee’s on E Sunset Road  was held in conjunction with “We Don’t Serve Teens Week,”
a national effort aimed at educating adults on how youth obtain the
alcohol they drink and how to discourage underage drinking not only
during the back to school season, but also throughout the year.
Attorney General Masto will be working with local and national partners
to distribute “We Don’t Serve Teens”
materials to make adults aware of the legal consequences associated
with providing alcohol to people under 21. Attorney General Masto’s
event is one of seventeen events taking place nationwide from September
10th – September 21st.

“Study after study suggests that youth who illegally
drink alcohol obtain it from individuals they know,” said Attorney
General Masto. “Data show, again and again, that kids cite their
parents as the leading influence over their decision to drink - or not
to drink - alcohol. When you talk, they really do listen. It is my hope
this campaign will encourage parents to start and continue a dialogue
with their teen about the dangers of underage drinking.”

“We are unveiling the We Don’t Serve Teenscampaign
today to help prevent underage purchases and consumption of alcohol
throughout the year. The Century Council has found that 65% of the
youth say that they get the alcohol they drink from family and friends,
meaning they get it from their parents, their friends’ parents, older
siblings or family members or older friends, with or without
permission. Turning a blind eye is as irresponsible as putting a drink
in their hands,” said Erik Strickland of The Century Council.

To determine parents’ perspective on the issue of adults providing
alcohol to underage youth, The Century Council commissioned a survey of
1,000 adults.  The results show that, overwhelmingly, parents do not
believe it is acceptable for other adults to provide beverage alcohol
to underage youth.  Ninety-six percent of adults said it is
unacceptable for another parent or other adult to provide alcohol to
their teenager without their permission.  Further, all survey
respondents said if they learned another parent or adult provided
alcohol to their teenager without their permission, they would consider
taking recourse against the other parent, or their child.   

The top actions adults would take include:

• speaking with my child about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking (93%),
• call that adult and express my objections/feelings/opinions (86%),
• restrict my child's time at that family's house (80%),
• limit my child's relationship with that family (76%),
• notify other parents (74%), and
• punish my own child (69%). 

Other actions adults report they would take if such an incident
occurred include calling the police (44%), reporting the incident to
the school (40%), and taking legal action, such as file charges, sue
them, etc. (34%).

“Among 12-20 year olds, more than 25 percent reported
past month alcohol consumption in Nevada (Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration),” said Kennedy.  “Protecting the
safety, particularly the safety of our state’s most precious resource –
our young people – is a top priority for the Wine and Spirits
Wholesalers of America. Restaurants, wholesalers, retailers – all of us
– need to play a role in the fight against underage drinking, to lower,
and hopefully eliminate, underage drinking in Nevada.”

Glenn Morrison added, “We are working hard to ensure that teens do
not have access to alcohol. But we can’t do it alone. It is our hope
these point of sale materials will remind adults that serving alcohol
to underage youth is unsafe, illegal and irresponsible.”

Underage drinking is against the law in Nevada. 
Period,” said Sheriff Gillespie. “While it is certainly important to
discourage underage sales, kids get alcohol from other sources, and
kids can be very creative about obtaining alcohol. Parents, retail
establishments, community groups – we all have a role to play in the
fight against underage drinking.”

Gillespie added, “We are on the front lines of the
battle against underage drinking every day.  The Century Council’s We
Don’t Serve Teens campaign is just one of the many examples of how we
can work to prevent underage drinking and purchasing of alcohol here in
Nevada. I am proud to wear my lapel pin and, as you can see, Mr Lee’s
has posted the “We Don’t Serve Teens” materials throughout the store to
display how committed our community is to fighting underage drinking
and keeping Las Vegas’ teens safe.”

Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada will distribute
English and Spanish point of purchase materials to 500 retail
establishments in Nevada as a reminder to parents and other adults that
providing alcohol to teens can mean serious consequences and to
encourage them to speak up about underage drinking. Additionally, the
Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. will distribute at least
60,000 packages of We Don’t Serve Teens materials to retailers
nationwide.  Elements of the campaign include a television and radio
public service announcement, print ad, lapel pins, register signs, and
posters.

The Century Council,  in conjunction with the Nevada
Broadcasters Association has distributed Attorney General Masto’s
English and Spanish Radio PSA which will run statewide for four weeks
beginning on September 1st  as a reminder to parents and other adults
that providing alcohol to teens can mean serious consequences and to
encourage them to speak up about underage drinking.

The “We Don’t Serve Teens” campaign
involves a coalition of public and private sector organizations brought
together by the Federal Trade Commission, that includes The Century
Council, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc., the U.S.
Department of Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, Students Against
Destructive Decisions, the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association,
the Responsible Retailing Forum, the National Association of State
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc., the National Consumers League,
and the American Beverage Licensees. Elements of the campaign include a
television public service announcements, print ad, lapel pins, cold
case stickers, register signs, and posters.  For more information on
the campaign or to order materials visit www.dontserveteens.gov.

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.