Not In Our House: A Nationwide Initiative on Underage Drinking and Social Hosting is a program developed to raise awareness of illegal underage drinking and social host laws in communities throughout the United States. Developed with Scholastic Corporation Inc., and generously sponsored by the International Institute for Alcohol Awareness (IIAA) and The Century Council, funded by America’s leading distillers, this community-wide initiative comprises targeted materials that are being distributed not only to school administrators, but also to teachers, athletic directors and coaches, parent/community coordinators and PTA/PTO presidents, students and parents. The program’s classroom component contains national standards-based lessons and activities to challenge students’ oral and written and communication skills, and help them transform their newfound knowledge into advocacy.

The rationale behind the selection of target audiences includes:

• Parents and other significant adults have considerable influence on youth
• High social pressures from peers to drink to be cool
• 9th and 10th grade students are beginning to experience more independence from their parents (driver’s license, etc.)
• These youth want parents to start letting them go, but rather this is the time that parents need to be alert and engaged

Not In Our House materials have been distributed to 400 high schools (public, private, and parochial) in the 50 state capital cities as well as Washington, DC.

For additional information about Not In Our House, contact Mindy Hargis at MHargis@IIAAglobal.org or Joy Hungate at HungateJ@centurycouncil.org.