Attorney General Tom Horne brings Ask, Listen, Learn to Taylor Junior High
Mesa, AZ — Today, Attorney General Tom Horne partnered with The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility’s Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix program to motivate 450 8th grade students at Taylor Junior High School to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.”
“As the former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction I understand firsthand the benefits of programs such as Ask, Listen, Learn coming into the school. These kids are at a critical age where having conversations about healthy decisions and saying no to alcohol is so important. I’m proud to be part of the program today and to spread this important message during Alcohol Awareness Month,” said Attorney General Tom Horne.
Attorney General Horne cheered on students as they eagerly competed for high scores in the running competition on Ask, Listen, Learn’s interactive game. The game enables youth to learn about the negative consequences of underage drinking and the benefits of making healthy decisions while they exercise. The premise is based on research by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. John Ratey, showing that for a person’s brain to function at its peak, the body needs to move. The multimedia program includes the game and print materials, with the website presenting a pledge to live a healthy lifestyle, online games and pages featuring Ask, Listen, Learn Superstars.
Taylor Junior High School Principal Gina Piraino commended The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility’s efforts to reach her students on this key issue. “We’re delighted to have Ask, Listen, Learn at Taylor Junior High School today. It’s important to offer our students new ways to learn. Incorporating the Ask, Listen, Learn program into our school day is fun for the kids and provides a twofold benefit of getting them up and exercising while also learning important messages surrounding healthy choices and saying no to underage drinking.”
“The availability of alcohol to underage youth has declined for more than a decade, yet 11 percent of 8th graders report they have consumed alcohol in the past month,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. “During Alcohol Awareness Month, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility has made a commitment of starting 1 million conversations between parents, teachers and kids. We encourage the kids of Taylor Jr. High School to go home today and talk with a trusted adult about the importance of making the right choice when it comes to underage drinking, and that choice is to say no.”
About Ask, Listen, Learn
Ask, Listen, Learn is the most widely distributed alcohol education program of its kind. Ask, Listen, Learn’s initiatives include Asklistenlearn.com, a website that encourages kids to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking” by offering kids interactive and educational games and videos. On the site kids can read about positive role models and take a pledge to make healthy choices. Parents and educators are also encouraged to visit the site for tips on how to facilitate these conversations and read interviews with gymnast Aly Raisman’s parents on how they talked to their kids about underage drinking. Ask, Listen, Learn is also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest constantly promoting a healthy lifestyle message.
About The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol and develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns which ignite action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, their initiatives are highlighted online at www.www.responsibility.org and www.asklistenlearn.org.