Press Release

"We Don't Serve Teens" Campaign Urges Parents to Speak Up and Discourage Underage Drinking

Salt Lake City, UT —  In advance of the winter holiday season, Attorney
General Mark Shurtleff; Larry Lunt, Chairman, Utah Alcoholic Beverage
Control Commission; Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City Police
Department; and JD Edgington, Manager, Avenue's Liquor Store; joined
Dana Fudurich, The Century Council, to launch a public awareness
campaign to prevent underage drinking. The Century Council is a
national not-for-profit organization funded by the nation’s leading
distillers and the new initiative, developed by The Federal Trade
Commission and The Century Council, called "We Don't Serve Teens," is
designed to inform adults that providing underage youth with alcohol is
unsafe, illegal, and irresponsible. The launch took place at the
Avenue's Liquor Store on 6th Avenue.

"We are unveiling our 'We Don't Serve Teens' campaign today to help
prevent underage purchases and consumption of alcohol not only during
the holiday season, but also throughout the year. The Century Council
has found that nearly one in five (17%) adults believe it is acceptable
for parents to provide alcohol to their teenagers in their own home. It
is our hope this campaign will encourage parents to start and continue
a dialogue with their teen about the dangers of underage drinking.
Turning a blind eye is as irresponsible as putting a drink in their
hands," said Dana Fudurich of The Century Council.

To determine parents' perspective on the issue of adults providing
alcohol to underage youth, The Century Council commissioned a survey of
1,000 adults. The results show that overwhelmingly, parents do not
believe it is acceptable for other adults to provide beverage alcohol
to underage youth. Ninety-six percent of adults said it is unacceptable
for another parent or other adult to provide alcohol to their teenager
without their permission. Further, all survey respondents said if they
learned another parent or adult provided alcohol to their teenager
without their permission, they would consider taking recourse against
the other parent, or their child.

The top actions adults would take include:

• Speaking with my child about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking (93%)
• Call that adult and express my objections, feelings and opinions (86%)
• Restrict my child's time at that family's house (80%)
• Limit my child's relationship with that family (76%)
• Notify other parents (74%)
• Punish my own child (69%)

Other actions adults report they would take if such an incident
occurred include calling the police (44%), reporting the incident to
the school (40%), and taking legal action, such as file charges, sue
them, etc. (34%).

"Study after study shows that youth are obtaining the alcohol they
drink from people they know," said Attorney General Shurtleff. "You may
find it surprising that data shows that kids cite their parents as the
leading influence over their decision to drink — or not to drink —
alcohol. What better time to talk to your kids than the holiday season,
when opportunities abound. When you talk, they really do listen."

"Among 12-20 year olds, more than 18 percent reported past month
alcohol consumption in Utah," said Lunt. "Protecting the safety,
particularly the safety of our state's most precious resource — our
young people — is a top priority for the commission. Restaurants,
wholesalers, retailers — all of us — need to play a role in the fight
against underage drinking, to lower, and hopefully eliminate, underage
drinking in Salt Lake City, Utah."

"Underage drinking is illegal in the state of Utah, and we are
working hard to ensure that teens do not have access to alcohol. But we
can't do it alone," said Chief Burbank. We encourage parents to be good
role models, let your teen know you disapprove of underage drinking,
and supervise their activities. Parents, retail establishments,
community groups - we all have a role to play in the fight against
underage drinking."

"I am on the front lines of the battle against underage drinking
every day in my role as Manager of Avenue's Liquor Store. The Century
Council's 'We Don't Serve Teens' campaign is just one of the many
examples of how we can work to prevent underage drinking and purchasing
of alcohol here in Utah," said JD Edgington.

The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will distribute
point of purchase materials to 17 retail establishments in Salt Lake
City as a reminder to parents and other adults that providing alcohol
to teens can mean serious consequences and to encourage them to speak
up about underage drinking. Elements of the campaign include television
and radio public service announcement, print ad, lapel pins, register
signs, and ceiling danglers.

The Century Council will distribute the public service announcement
to television stations that serve Salt Lake City, Utah, and has
launched the campaign in eight other markets nationwide so far. The
campaign will continue to be rolled out in cities across the country
through 2007. For more information on the campaign or to order
materials visit www.dontserveteens.gov or www.centurycouncil.org.