'60 Minutes' Focuses on Parents Hosting Alcohol Parties for Minors

'60 Minutes' Focuses on Parents Hosting Alcohol Parties for Minors

International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fatherhood Initiative, Anheuser-Busch Underage-Drinking Prevention Effort Reminds Adults to 'Think Again'

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As students head back to school, CBS' "60 Minutes" (Aug. 21, 7 p.m. EDT) will feature a segment on parents who host parties with alcohol for teens. The episode includes an interview with Francine Katz, vice president of communications and consumer affairs for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., discussing the company's opposition to these kinds of parties and programs to combat underage drinking.

According to the 2003 National Academy of Sciences Report two-thirds of teens who drink get alcohol from their parents or other adults. Recognizing the importance of parental influence, the nation's largest brewer, together with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), are supporting a national initiative, "Prevent, Don't Provide," which reminds adults not to buy alcohol for minors or provide it to them at parties.

"These parents may be well intentioned in hosting these parties -- thinking no one will get hurt if they provide alcohol to minors only for a 'special occasion' and take the keys -- but there is no way the parents can control all the variables," says Katz. "In addition, allowing teens and their friends to drink alcohol at parties is illegal; when adults condone such activities, it sends the message that it's OK to break the law regardless of whether adults are around."

The key to stopping youth drinking lies with parents. According to the 2004 Roper Youth Report, a nationally representative poll, 75 percent of teens ages 13-17 say their parents are the No. 1 influence in their decisions about whether or not they drink alcohol.

Chief James Harmes of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fairfax, Va., states, "As firefighters, we are called to rescue teens who've made poor choices to drink and then drive. We want to do everything we can to help prevent these tragedies. By supporting this effort and promoting its important message, we can help stop alcohol from getting into teens' hands in the first place."

Prevent, Don't Provide uses print and radio ads, as well as point-of-sale materials at convenience and grocery stores, to challenge adults to "Think Again" if they consider it's acceptable to buy alcohol for teens or provide it to them at parties.

"As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children right from wrong and to teach them respect for the law," explains Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, Gaithersburg, Md. "This initiative will help deliver the message to fathers, and mothers, that parents have a great deal of influence in helping their teens make the right decisions. By setting a good example and by not providing alcohol for their children or other minors, parents play a pivotal role in preventing underage drinking."

Katz adds, "As the mother of a college freshman, I share the same concerns as every other parent out there. Teens will always try to push the limits. But we have to remember that parenting is not about being their best friend -- it's about being an authority in their lives and teaching them to make safe, smart choices."

The good news is the percentage of high-school seniors who reported having a drink in the last 30 days is down 31 percent since 1982, according to the University of Michigan's "Monitoring the Future" study. According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, all measures of teen alcohol use have dropped significantly from 1998 to 2004. In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports the number of teen drunk-driving fatalities has declined by 60 percent since 1982.

Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) and its wholesalers have invested more than a half-billion dollars since 1982 in a comprehensive portfolio of more than two dozen community-based programs and national advertising campaigns to promote responsibility and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. Since 1990, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have distributed more than 5.6 million expert guides to help parents talk with their teens and college students about alcohol.

Anheuser-Busch ranked first in the U.S. beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine's 2005 "America's Most Admired Companies" and first in the beverage industry worldwide for social responsibility on FORTUNE's 2005 "Global Most Admired Companies" list. More information on Anheuser-Busch's underage-drinking prevention efforts is available at http://www.beeresponsible.com/ .

For more information, contact:

Steve Mastorakos, 314.765.7286
steve.mastorakos@anheuser-busch.com

Crystal Howard, 314.577.7292
crystal.howard@anheuser-busch.com

Source: Anheuser-Busch

CONTACT: Steve Mastorakos, +1-314-765-7286,
steve.mastorakos@anheuser-busch.com , or Crystal Howard, +1-314-577-7292,
crystal.howard@anheuser-busch.com , both of Anheuser-Busch

Web site: http://www.beeresponsible.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Representatives of Anheuser-Busch, the National Fatherhood Initiative and the International Association of Fire Chiefs are available for interviews.

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