Congressman Carson, Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman Fight Underage Drinking with New Public Service Announcement

Press Release

Today, Congressman André Carson (D-IN) partnered with The Century Council's Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix program and 2012 US Gymnastics Olympic team captain Aly Raisman to encourage kids to "say "YES' to a healthy lifestyle and "NO' to underage drinking."

To begin the new school year, Congressman Carson, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman and The Century Council launched a public service announcement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypbNjkqEvcE) which will appear on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook throughout Indiana's 7th Congressional District. The PSA includes positive messages for teens and encourages parents to start the conversation about underage drinking and its dangerous effects with their teens at an early age.

The Ask, Listen, Learn program, which was developed and launched more than 10 years ago, has reached thousands of middle schools across the country to encourage an effective discussion between parents and kids about underage drinking. The PSA is The Century Council's latest project in its effort to spark conversations between parents and their middle school-aged teens about the dangers of underage drinking and how to "say "YES' to a healthy lifestyle and "NO' to underage drinking."

"My goal is to help parents understand the power they have to guide their children's decisions regarding alcohol," said Congressman Carson. "The choices our kids make in middle and high school set their course for success as adults. Aly and I want to ensure kids in Indianapolis have bright futures, and achieving healthy lifestyles is an important step in that journey."

"Even though the availability of alcohol to underage youth has declined for more than a decade, 30 percent of adolescents say they've tried alcohol by the time they reach eighth grade," said Ralph Blackman, president and CEO of The Century Council. "We believe that by having Congressman Carson and Aly talk about the importance of saying no to underage drinking in this PSA, we are able to reach parents and teens at the same time, and that will hopefully serve as a catalyst to a conversation about the dangers of underage drinking. It's critical that parents understand their opinion matters to their teens."

About Ask, Listen, Learn

Ask, Listen, Learn is the most widely-distributed alcohol education program of its kind. Ask, Listen, Learn's initiatives include Asklistenlearn.com, a website that encourages kids to "say "YES' to a healthy lifestyle and "NO' to underage drinking" by offering kids interactive and educational games and videos. On the website, kids can read about positive role models and take a pledge to make healthy choices. Parents and educators are also encouraged to visit the website for tips on how to facilitate these conversations and read interviews with gymnast Aly Raisman's parents on how they talked to their kids about underage drinking. Ask, Listen, Learn is also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest constantly promoting a healthy lifestyle message.

About The Century Council

The Century Council is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Century Council promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol and develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns which ignite action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, their initiatives are highlighted online at www.centurycouncil.org and www.asklistenlearn.org.

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