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#ChangeStartsWithMe

As the holidays have come and gone, we can start the new year off right by practicing mindfulness and thinking about the resolutions that we want to reflect upon in the coming year. Each step starts with you. Change starts with you.  

These resolutions can range from things like spending more time being active, having conversations with your children about making responsible decisions, or checking in to ensure your relationship with alcohol is where you want it to be. 

Some people choose to participate in “Dry January” as a way to reassess their relationships with alcohol and reset for the year ahead. Responsibility.org President and CEO Chris Swonger speaks about “Try January” in this NPR article, encouraging instead a focus on balance, consistent assessment, and responsible consumption throughout the year. You can hear more in this NPR article from last week 

Our goals, both personally and professionally, stem from some of the recent research that we track throughout the year. 

  • Responsible alcohol consumption: Most American adults (86%) are confident they drink responsibly, with close to half (45%) reporting extreme confidence (rating of “10” on a 0-10 scale).  
  • Underage drinking prevention: Underage drinking rates are still at pre-pandemic lows, with nearly six out of ten teens reporting they never consumed alcohol. Parents need to keep these conversations going and model good behavior.  
  • Eliminating drunk and impaired driving: In 2020 over 11,000 people died in the United States from preventable, drunk driving crashes, up 14% from the previous year. 

When thinking about 2023, we at Responsibility.org encourage you to think about balance and intention. What changes can we each make in our daily lives that will have lasting impacts over the coming year? What small steps can you take today to make tomorrow brighter, better, or more enjoyable and responsible? That change starts with you. And #ChangeStartsWithMe.