Preventing Underage Drinking and Promoting Responsible Alcohol Use Year-Round

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and as the month winds down, it’s important to take the momentum from this month’s initiatives to encourage responsible alcohol use year-round for District residents.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, one in 12 adults in the United States suffers from alcohol abuse or dependence. While underage drinking has declined in recent years, it is still a problem with 7.4 million Americans between the ages of 12 and 20 reporting alcohol consumption. Not only can abusing alcohol cause serious health problems, especially for young adults whose brains are still developing, but it can negatively impact one’s finances, career, and relationships.

To protect District residents, AG Racine has several initiatives underway to prevent underage drinking and encourage responsible alcohol use by adults:

  • AG Racine with Olympic gold-medal swimmer Nathan Adrian
    AG Racine's PSA with Olympic gold-medal swimmer Nathan Adrian.
    Ask, Listen, Learn: Every year, AG Racine partners with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility to promote “Ask, Listen, Learn,” an online resource that provides parents, teachers, and kids with ways to prevent underage drinking. From tips on how to start conversations with youth to science-based resources, including animated videos and lesson plans that take kids on a journey through the developing brain and what alcohol does to it, this partnership empowers kids to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. Watch AG Racine’s recent PSA with Olympic gold-medal swimmer Nathan Adrian.
     
  • SoberRide: Throughout the year, OAG partners with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), a public-private partnership that champions the prevention of drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area. OAG promotes WRAP's SoberRide program, which offers transportation alternatives for residents during holidays when impaired driving increases. WRAP, OAG, and other local organizations also partner on interactive teen driver safety events at local schools.
     
  • Sobriety Check: In 2016, as part of a deferred sentencing agreement, OAG required a first-time DUI offender with medical training to write a curriculum designed to educate youth about alcohol use. That curriculum was converted into an innovative community outreach program called “Sobriety Check.” Launched at Howard University for incoming freshman and now expanded to colleges and high schools across the District, this program aims to educate students about the consequences of abusing alcohol and drugs. 

The Office of the Attorney General prosecutes impaired driving offenses and is also committed to educating District residents about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.