Southern Glazer’s Deploys Alcohol Safety Education in High Schools

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Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has significantly furthered the fight against underage drinking in Florida.

The Youth Alcohol Awareness and Education Foundation — established by Southern Glazer’s to fund programs that support alcohol safety and underage drinking prevention — today announced that 26 Miami-Dade and Broward high schools have implemented the EVERFI’s AlcoholEdu for High School online curriculum.

The alcohol safety education initiative, funded by the foundation in partnership with Step Up For Students, has now positively impacted more than 1,500 students in South Florida since the kickoff of the program in 2017.

AlcoholEdu for High School is a 1.5-hour, interactive course that engages students with science-based alcohol education and interactive exercises, providing an individualized experience that aims to change perceptions, motivate behavior change and support healthier decisions regarding alcohol. EVERFI’s AlcoholEdu for High School is made available to public and private schools in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties for free, with the support of grants from The Youth Alcohol Awareness and Education Foundation, Inc.

“April is Alcohol Awareness Month and what better time to recognize the importance of making this important content available to high school students in our community,” says Terry Jove, charitable director, Southern Glazer’s. “We are thrilled that so many teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors have implemented this program and thank them for their support of our efforts to prevent underage drinking and empower young people to make healthier choices about alcohol.”

High school students who complete the course have demonstrated a meaningful knowledge gain, the company says, and report that the course prepared them to: avoid riding in a vehicle driven by someone who’s been drinking; stop a friend from driving drunk; establish a plan ahead of time to make responsible decisions; resist social pressure to drink alcohol, and identify when someone has consumed too much alcohol.

“Ensuring that every single secondary school addresses this issue is critical,” says Louis Lazo, health curriculum support specialist for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. “Funding is extremely important and sponsorships like the one provided by the Youth Alcohol Awareness and Education Foundation and Step Up For Students can facilitate school districts with financial assistance needed by so many public educational entities.”