WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-State Urges Teens to Question the Message

State Urges Teens to Question the Message

Burlington, Vermont - June 4, 2008

State health officials want to curb underage drinking with a new campaign called "Question the Message." It's focus-- advertising.

A series of public service announcements directs kids ages 12 to 15 to go to the website www.QuestiontheMessage.com.

A variety of games and giveaways will show how alcohol is portrayed in movies, television, and advertising. Other campaign materials will do the same.

Experts say middle school and high school can be stressful times for kids and it's critical that they learn early about the dangers of drinking.

"We know from the research that the more ads that young people see and hear for using alcohol the more likely they are to drink. So we're calling their attention to it and asking them to think about what is it that the advertisers really are trying to sell you here," explains Marcia LaPlante of the Vt. Health Dept.

LaPlante says underage drinking has steadily declined during the past decade, but it is still a serious problem in Vermont. 39 percent of eighth through 12th-graders say they've consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the last 30 days. In 1995, that number was 53 percent.

Bridget Barry Caswell - WCAX News