Congressman Dingell, U-M Trauma Burn Center and The Century Council join forces to combat underage drinking

University of Michigan Health System
Friday, 21 November 2003

U-M Trauma Burn Center, The Century Council come together on Nov. 24 to announce partnership that targets at-risk teens

Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) will join the University of Michigan Health System's Trauma Burn Center and The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by America's leading distillers, as they announce a collaborative effort designed to combat underage drinking. A press conference announcing the partnership will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, in U-M Hospital's Ford Auditorium.

As part of this joint effort, the U-M Trauma Burn Center will be pairing its Real Life program with The Century Council's Alcohol 101 for High School Seniors, an interactive CD-ROM program designed to prepare students to make informed choices about alcohol. Real Life is hospital-based program for young people that are at risk for or have already experimented with drugs or alcohol.

"As a cost-conscious watchdog, I was delighted to see two organizations coming together to improve a program that is so necessary and important," said Congressman Dingell.

Paul Taheri, M.D., MBA, Division Chief of the U-M Trauma Burn Center, indicated that U-M was impressed with the information Alcohol 101 provides on alcohol poisoning and drunk driving, which is now a module in the Real Life program. "It is gratifying to see an organization that is not part of the health care field take such a proactive approach to preventing alcohol use by underage youth," he says.

Real Life, developed by the U-M Trauma Burn Center in 1996, is a daylong program conducted at the Level 1 U-M Trauma Burn Center taught by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals, injury prevention specialists, local police and young patient survivors. Participants, ages 11 to 17, are required to bring a parent or legal guardian to the program to see, first hand, the consequences of drug and alcohol related injuries. During the program, participants engage in open discussions on medical consequences, current alcohol and drug-related issues, legal ramifications and strategies to prevent traumatic injuries.

Participants are referred to the program by county courts, police departments, schools, community agencies and parents. To date, over 2,500 children and their parents have attended a Real Life session.

"Study after study shows that parents, overwhelmingly, have the most influence over a teen's decision to drink or not to drink. Parents must be good role models and they must continue to have a frank and open discussion about alcohol with their teens," says Dingell.

"Students these days are confronted with more than we can imagine – from pressures to perform in school and in extracurricular activities to the pressures that are always present as teens grow up," said Maria Tildon, Senior Vice President for External Affairs with The Century Council. "As these students begin the transition from high school to the work force, higher education or the military, they will be faced with new challenges and social situations that may bring increased pressures to consume alcohol," she said.

Recognizing the continuing need to reach high school students, The Century Council partnered with the American School Counselor Association to develop Alcohol 101 for High School Seniors.

Alcohol 101 for High School Seniors gives students a set of practical behavioral tools to help them maintain safety and control in a wide range of settings. They can make the wrong choice and see the consequences from the safety of their computer. The CD-ROM program also enables them to replay the scenario and make a responsible decision. They soon learn that making a safe and healthy choice concerning alcohol is amazingly easy.

"Underage drinking is a key concern of our agency," says Nida Samona, Chair of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. "We work very diligently to ensure the laws of this state are followed. But we cannot do it alone. We need help from the community. We want to stop young people from even attempting to buy alcohol illegally."

Ann Arbor Police Chief Daniel Oates also offered his support for the partnership. Last year in Michigan, 603 youths under the age of 18 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, he says. In addition, 6,340 youths under the age of 18 were arrested for liquor law violations, and underage drinkers were responsible for 22 percent of all liquor violations in the state of Michigan, and tragically, 80 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Michigan, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The statistics are telling," says Oates. "We all must redouble our efforts to fight underage drinking in Michigan,"

The U-M Trauma Burn Center is an internationally recognized leader in patient care, research, and education, and it was one of the first dedicated burn units in the United States. Each year, an average of 1,200 patients suffering from multiple traumatic injuries, mostly life-threatening or limb-threatening, are admitted to the center. For more information on the U-M Trauma Burn Center, log on to www.traumaburn.org.

The Century Council, launched in 1991 and funded by America's leading distillers, is dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, and to promoting responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol.

The Century Council, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is chaired by The Honorable Susan Molinari. An independent Advisory Board made up of distinguished leaders in business, government, education, medicine, and other relevant disciplines assists The Council in development of programs and policies. For more information on the Alcohol 101 for High School Seniors program or to order a free copy of the program, visit www.centurycouncil.org or www.Alc101forHSSeniors.org.

For more information, or to contact University of Michigan Health System, see their website at: www.med.umich.edu