Underage drinking is more than a rite of passage. It's an invitation to clouded judgment, limited control and consequences that can last a lifetime. Young people across the country are working to change the current culture and make a difference in their communities. Are you ready to join them? Email today!

Youth In Action (YIA) is a community based program that provides youth with the necessary skills to make change in their communities. YIA members work to reduce the social and retail availability of alcohol and change the norms that say underage drinking is a "rite of passage."

Instead of targeting high school students with a "don't drink "message, YIA looks at the whole environment that seems to condone underage drinking. From the store clerk that doesn't check IDs, to the parents who allow young people to drink in their homes, to the officer who pours out the drink and send the kids home- YIA members look for solutions in the community. It isn't the individual we must change, but the behaviors and attitudes that say underage drinking as acceptable. The YIA teams focus on laws and policies that can affect that behavior because that is the best place to make changes.

History of Youth In Action

Mothers Against Drunk Driving added underage drinking prevention to its mission in 2000. MADD Tennessee Youth In Action began in 1998 with funding from the Department of Childrens' Services and the Governor's Highway Safety Office.

Youth Statistics
Facts and statistics related to young people.

Youth In Action Brochure
(7.2MB PDF)

Tennessee's Zero Tolerance Law
(506KB PDF)

Projects

ALCOHOL PURCHASE SURVEYS
A young looking 21 year old attempts to purchase alcohol without an ID. No actual purchase is made. It is merely a survey to see if the clerk would have sold alcohol to a presumed minor without ID.

COMPLIANCE CHECKS
With the help of the police, young people act as underage buyers. They are instructed to go through with the sale, whether the clerks ask for ID or not. The police may cite or arrest the store clerk.

SHOULDER-TAP SURVEYS
With law enforcement present to ensure safety, a young person (or group of young people) approach strangers outside an alcohol retailer to see if they would willingly purchase alcohol for them because they are too young to legally buy. Those that answer yes receive instead of money, a card outlining the law and penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor. Those that refuse to purchase alcohol are handed a card thanking them for serving their community by refusing to provide alcohol to a minor.

STICKER SHOCK
YIA teams meet with local alcohol package stores and ask them to place warning stickers on the packaging of alcohol products (primarily beer). The stickers are very visible and outline the consequences of purchasing alcohol for people under the age of 21. This project is designed to remind people that they can be arrested for purchasing alcohol for minors.

LAW ENFORCEMENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM
YIA teams publicly thank local law enforcement officials who are working to prevent underage drinking. This can be done many ways: a formal banquet, a media event, or even just by bringing food to officers at the station or out on location where police officers are working on the job. Either way, this is a unique opportunity for teens to thank police officers for doing their job.

ROLL CALL BRIEFINGS
YIA teams set up meetings with their local police departments to make presentations at shift change meetings. Two or three YIA members go to the police station with an adult leader to encourage police officers to enforce the Zero Tolerance Law. Many YIA teams have printed cards or notepads to hand out outlining the law and declaring their support for it.