Beer Institute Supports the "We Don't Serve Teens" Program for the Fifth Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Beer Institute (BI) and its members today announced their support for the federal government's "We Don't Serve Teens" program for the fifth consecutive year. Launched in 2007, the campaign provides parents and other adults with educational tools to help reduce illegal teen drinking.

"As an industry, brewers and importers are actively engaged in numerous partnerships at the local and federal level to address underage drinking and help parents effectively talk about it with their teens," said Beer Institute President Joe McClain. "Parents are the leading influence on their children's decisions about alcohol, and the beer industry is committed to giving them, as well as their communities, the tools they need to help teens make responsible choices."

To raise awareness of the federal government's "We Don't Serve Teens" campaign and its call to action, Beer Institute members have "adopted" their corporate hometowns and focused their efforts this year in those specific locations. Anheuser-Busch will be focusing its efforts in St. Louis, while MillerCoors will be raising awareness in Denver and Milwaukee. Crown Imports has "adopted" Chicago as its city of focus and Heineken USA will be working to raise awareness in White Plains. In addition to support of this program, the Beer Institute and its members have invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the past three decades in community-based programs to help prevent underage drinking and to support public safety, education and prevention campaigns.

Brewers and importers also have independently distributed millions of guidebooks, videos and other educational materials to help parents talk with their children about underage drinking, as well as tools and resources to help retailers check and verify IDs and prevent sales to minors.  

"Research shows collaborative efforts such as the 'We Don't Serve Teens' program and other initiatives supported by brewers and importers are having a positive impact," said McClain. "While underage drinking is on the decline, there is always more to be done and the Beer Institute is proud to be a partner in these efforts to curb underage drinking."

The "We Don't Serve Teens" program offers educational materials in both English and Spanish, which can be found at www.DontServeTeens.gov.

The Beer Institute, established in 1986, is the national trade association for the brewing industry, representing both large and small brewers, as well as importers and industry suppliers. The Institute is committed to the development of sound public policy and to the values of civic duty and personal responsibility: www.beerinstitute.org.

SOURCE The Beer Institute