History of Youth In Action

In 1996, MADD announced its new partnership with concerned youth to combat underage drinking and the No. 1 drug problem among America's youth: ALCOHOL. Lack of enforcement of the 21 minimum drinking age law, easy access to alcohol, irresponsible alcohol marketing practices, lack of youth education and prevention programs, and parents who condone underage drinking as a "rite of passage" all contribute to alcohol being the No. 1 drug of choice among youth today. In response, MADD has developed a community based youth program called Youth In Action, or YIA.

There are laws in all 50 states that make it illegal for people under 21 years of age to have alcohol. However, there are significant loopholes in those laws. Because of that, teenagers drink at parties, buy alcohol from liquor stores, drink and drive, and die from alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related crashes. These incidents are occurring at an alarming rate all across the country.

Bottom line: at some point in almost each of these situations, there was an adult who broke the law by supplying, providing, purchasing or accepting this activity as a "rite of passage." The blame for underage drinking cannot be completely placed on youth - our entire community that accepts underage drinking is at fault. And it must be changed in order to prevent further death and injury of our nation's young people.