SAMHSA Joins With Scholastic to Issue 2007 'Reach Out Now' National School Program to Prevent Underage Alcohol Use

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Date: 3/27/2007
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Telephone: 240-276-2130

SAMHSA Joins With Scholastic to Issue 2007 'Reach Out Now' National School Program to Prevent Underage Alcohol Use

Program Supports the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Alcohol Use by America’s Youth

On the heels of the Surgeon General’s March 6 Call to Action to prevent and reduce underage drinking, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has once again joined with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, to present its annual, nationwide in-school program designed to help parents and teachers educate kids about the dangers of alcohol use. The program, Reach Out Now: Start Talking Before They Start Drinking, is distributed by Scholastic and SAMSHA to nearly every fifth and sixth grade classroom nationwide, beginning this week.

“The Reach Out Now program supports my Call to Action goal of engaging parents and schools in a coordinated national effort to educate our children about the harm of underage drinking,” said Acting Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., MPH., rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps. “The program design and content are just what our schools need to reach fifth- and sixth-graders in language they can understand.”

“SAMHSA instituted the Reach Out Now initiative to address the problem of young teens and pre-teens who were experimenting with alcohol,” said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “Each day, more than 10,000 young people under the age of 21 take their first drink. Now that the Surgeon General has called on our entire country to support his Call to Action, we believe these materials will help our schools put that plan into immediate action when they share them with students and their parents.”

The Reach Out Now program, now in its sixth year, is designed to educate students in fifth and sixth grades about the effects of alcohol, and provide information and advice to help parents, teachers, and school nurses engage children in conversations about the need to avoid underage drinking. The four-page teacher guide includes ready-to-use lesson plans and activities to help students gain a better understanding of the effects of alcohol and what positive actions they can take as an alternative to drinking. Each child will also receive a take-home Family Resource Guide, which includes tips and advice for parents on how to engage in conversations with children about alcohol and important factual information they can share on the dangers of underage drinking.

“It is clear from the Surgeon General’s report that there is an urgent need to begin educating our children about the dangers of alcohol use long before they reach their teen years,” said David Lange, General Manager, Scholastic InSchool Solutions. “Scholastic is joining forces once again with SAMHSA to tackle the growing problem of underage drinking by offering parents and educators the advice and information they need to engage children in meaningful conversations about underage drinking in the classroom and at home.”

The Reach Out Now materials were developed by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and Scholastic and are based on research supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and SAMHSA.

The public/private collaboration allows SAMHSA to merge its knowledge about underage drinking prevention with Scholastic’s reputation for excellence in the development of classroom materials.

The U.S. Department of Education is collaborating with SAMHSA to make sure these materials reach as many children and families as possible. Other organizations that have joined with SAMHSA to promote the Reach Out Now program have included MADD, Pride Youth Program, Inc., Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Family Partnership, National Families in Action, the National Association of Children of Alcoholics, the National Association of State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Directors, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA.

More information about the Reach Out Now program and materials are available at http://www.teachin.samhsa.gov/

About SAMHSA
SAMHSA is a public agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment and mental health services delivery systems.

About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, www.scholastic.com.

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

Page Last Updated: 3/27/2007