San Rafael Teens Demand a Safe Space to Cheer on SF 49ers, Free From Alcohol

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"Youth for Justice" to Sponsor Free "Big Game Watch Party" 

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A Youth for Justice survey of 13-19-year-olds and the results of listening sessions in San Rafael's underserved community have led to the first-ever Big Game Watch Party - a safe Super Bowl watch party exclusively for teens.

To 'meet the teens where they are at,' the Big Game Watch Party will be held at Karma Club, 5800 Northgate Drive, Suite 74, San Rafael, CA 94903, on Sunday, Feb. 11th, from 3:00-7:30 pm.

The substance use prevention outreach event is sponsored by Alcohol Justice, Youth for Justice, San Rafael Alcohol and Drug Coalition, and Karma Club. It is open to all Marin teens ages 13-19, especially San Rafael and LGBTQ+ youth. The Big Game Watch Party will provide a rare "safe space" to watch the game. One teen noted, "My friends and I can't go to a sports bar, and at all of our parents' homes, they will be drinking, which can be awkward and embarrassing."   

Youth for Justice research finds support for the teen's request. Evidence-based studies show an increase in alcohol use, drunkenness, and domestic abuse occurs on Super Bowl Sundays, not to mention the attention that the Super Bowl draws to alcohol industry advertising.

The Big Game Watch Party will also provide a counter-alcohol advertising context to the alcohol industry's messaging and implicit youth recruitment during the most-watched TV sporting event of the year.

Alcohol Justice has long advocated against the billions Big Alcohol spends advertising alcohol during sporting events. They have previously rewarded youth-produced counter-advertising in a national contest (one winning video here). Over 30 million underage youth are expected to view alcohol ads during this year's Super Bowl telecast. Studies show that the more alcohol ads kids see, the younger they start drinking, the more they drink, and the greater the probability they will experience significant alcohol-related harm.

The Big Game Watch Party will also serve as an introduction and invitation to Youth for Justice's Media Literacy Program, which will be hosted by Karma Club and taught by local Dominican University students. Media Literacy Training provides critical thinking skills to enable youth to deconstruct, decode, and distinguish the real from the fake in all media and social media content. In addition, media literacy education has been shown to aid students' academic performance.

For further background information for articles or to arrange live shots of the event, please contact: David Thompson, 415 425-4685 [email protected] or Michael Scippa, 415 847-3006, [email protected]

SOURCE Alcohol Justice