South Florida Substance Abuse Coalitions Launch End-of-School-Year Advertising Campaign...

South Florida Substance Abuse Coalitions Launch End-of-School-Year Advertising
Campaign to Reduce Underage Drinking

Local Media Create Impressive Commercials

MIAMI, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Graduation parties, Proms and last
day of school parties mark a dangerous time of the year for South Florida's
Middle and High School children and youth; a time when underage drinking
reaches one of the highest levels. The United Way of Broward County Commission
on Substance Abuse (UWBCCSA) and The Miami Coalition for a Safe, Healthy and
Drug-Free Community (TMC) pooled resources and are asking parents, especially
moms, to step up conversations about this issue RIGHT NOW!

UWBCCSA and TMC chose Univision Ch. 23, FOX's Ch. 7, Univision radio station
AMOR, Clear Channel's Y-100, the Miami Herald's www.momsmiami.com and South
Florida's no. 1 Haitian radio station WSRF to create spots and air this
television, radio and online trilingual campaign. The campaign runs from
Monday, May 18th thru Saturday, May 30th.

"Every year during this latter part of the school year, far too many children
and youth under 21 years of age are involved in terrible situations with far
reaching negative consequences as a direct result of underage drinking,"
stated Dr. Joel Kaufman, Vice President/Executive Director of the UWBCCSA. "It
is our goal to encourage moms to have conversations and ultimately, to try and
reduce the number of tragedies that are directly related to underage
drinking."

The campaign encourages moms to learn how text so they can text their children
during the parties, to know who their children's friends are and to know their
parents, to not allow underage drinking in their homes, and to tell their kids
they can call home for help no matter what time it is.

"It isn't inevitable that children under 21 will drink," stated Doug Hughes,
Executive Director, TMC. "Unfortunately, for too many parents, it is simply
accepted as a 'rite of passage.' Extensive research tells us this is the
furthest thing from the truth. And, we also know, moms have the most intimate
knowledge about their children's behaviors. We hope to encourage these much
needed conversations."

Parents seeking information on underage drinking and talking to their kids may
call the South Florida Coalition Alliance, the partnership created to serve
this regional initiative, at 1-800-334-4568.

For more information on TMC, please visit www.miamicoalition.org
For more information on UWBCCSA, visit (www.unitedwaybroward.org)

SOURCE The Miami Coalition

Claudia Bailly, +1-305-338-7400, cbailly@bellsouth.net, for The Miami
Coalition