Introducing The Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Formerly The Century Council

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Century Council, dedicated to fighting drink driving and underage drinking, announces a new name today: the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR) along with the goal to spark two million conversations about alcohol responsibility during Alcohol Awareness Month. The majority of adults – three out of four (74 percent) – believe that ongoing conversations about responsible consumption are very important, according to a recent survey.

FAAR is funded by America's leading distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Since the organization was formed in 1991, underage drinking among eighth graders has reached an all-time low and drunk driving has declined by 35 percent. Even with this decline, drunk driving is still perceived as the most serious problem associated with alcohol consumption. Yet, an overwhelming majority of adults (84 percent) say they are confident that they drink responsibly. Fifty-four percent believe the responsibility to address the harmful consumption of alcohol lies with oneself (i.e., personal responsibility). 

"Our mission to lead the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking is stronger than ever," said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, formerly known as The Century Council. "We're excited to continue building upon the good work we've done over the past 23 years and finding new ways to connect with parents, teens and teachers online to promote a lifetime of conversations around alcohol responsibility."

Over the past year, FAAR's national advisory board and distiller members conducted a comprehensive strategic review of the organization's 23-year history, evaluated its mission and vision for the future, and gathered input from its stakeholders to come up with the new name and logo.

To encourage conversations during Alcohol Awareness Month, FAAR, along with its ambassadors including basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, Olympic figure skater Ashley Wagner, Disney teen sensation Bella Thorne and national partners will mark Alcohol Awareness Month with a variety of programs and tools to help generate two million conversations around alcohol responsibility.

"On behalf of my fellow advisory board members, our bold new plan and our new name will make our connections with parents, teachers, elected officials and community leaders stronger," said Lisa Graham Keegan, Advisory Board Member of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. "We offer innovative, approachable programs that parents and educational leaders can easily implement."

For more information on the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, please visit responsibility.org or engage directly in the conversation by following @goFAAR on Twitter or visiting FAAR's Facebook page, facebook.com/gofaar.

About the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Formerly known as The Century Council, the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR) is a national not-for-profit that leads 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. For more than 23 years, FAAR has transformed countless lives through programs that bring individuals, families and communities together to guide a lifetime of conversations around alcohol responsibility. To learn more, please visit us at responsibility.org.

Source: The Century Council, proprietary survey conducted via Toluna's Global Omnibus. The survey was conducted online among a national sample of 1,030 adults ages 18 and older was completed February 18-20, 2014.

Contact: Katie Stevenson
[email protected]
202-285-2377

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140331/MM94373LOGO

SOURCE The Century Council