The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Holiday Drinking Awareness Kit

Containing:

Sample News Releases
:30 Radio PSA Scripts
Tips For Safe Holiday Parties
Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Holiday Season

SAMPLE NEWS RELEASES

Sample News Release #1:

For More Information, Contact: (Insert name of contact) (Insert phone number) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release:     HOLIDAY SEASON OFFERS EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT DRINKING The holiday season offers an excellent opportunity to for parents to communicate with their children about drinking says (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION). "Children who live in homes where alcohol is not the focus of holiday get togethers may be less likely to grow up thinking that drinking is the key ingredient to having a good time," observes (INSERT NAME & TITLE OF SPOKESPERSON). "Parents should keep in mind that children are very observant and may be more influenced by adult behavior than what parents actually tell them about drinking." Recent research even suggests that holidays may be one environmental factor that can increase risk or confer protection from alcoholism within families. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alcoholism may become more harmful to family functioning and more likely to be passed to the next generation if drinking interferes with such activities as dinner times, holidays, vacations and other family rituals. Conversely, researchers believe that maintenance of family rituals, even through years characterized by heavy drinking, may prevent alcoholism from being passed between generations. In addition, detailed studies indicate that the adult children may be at less risk for developing alcohol-related problems if their parents deliberately engage in family rituals. Successful holiday celebrations should offer plenty of alternatives to drinking so that guests will not be tempted to drink excessively and so that non-drinking guests will not feel left out. Non-alcoholic beverages, food and activities other than drinking will help to ensure a safer, more inclusive party. Instead of bringing a bottle of alcohol to a holiday party, guests should consider giving a gift that everyone can enjoy, such as a dessert or a holiday decoration. For other holiday party tips and non-alcoholic beverage recipes, send a self addressed, stamped envelope to (INSERT NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION) or visit the website of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (www.ncadd.org) and click on Programs, and select Awareness Activities. # # # (INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION)

Sample News Release #2:

For More Information, Contact: (Insert name of contact) (Insert phone number) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release:     NCADD URGES OBSERVANCE OF FEDERAL GUIDELINES REGARDING ALCOHOL DURING HOLIDAY SEASON What better time to consider federal guidelines regarding alcohol than the holiday season when drinking increases as dramatically as credit card balances in January, reminds the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). The guidelines advise anyone who chooses to drink to do so in moderation which, according to federal standards, now means no more than one drink a day for women, or two drinks for men. They also reinforce the Surgeon General's warning that individuals who may be driving should not drink at all. "These guidelines should not be interpreted as `a prescription for drinking'," says Nicholas A. Pace, MD, a member of NCADD's board of directors. "They are the maximum levels most adults can drink safely. In addition, the limits apply regardless of how many drinks an individual has had on other days. Abstaining from alcohol for several days before a holiday celebration does not allow a person to drink more at a party without any risk to his or her health." Though NCADD urges Americans to remember the federal guidelines throughout the year, they are particularly relevant during the holidays when alcohol-related traffic fatalities occur frequently. The federal guidelines regarding alcohol appear in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They define a drink as 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits; 5 ounces of table wine; or 12 ounces of beer. For free copies of holiday drinking awareness materials which include the federal guidelines regarding alcohol, as well as holiday party tips and non-alcoholic beverage recipes, contact NCADD (12 West 21 Street, New York, NY, 10010) or visit NCADD's website (www.ncadd.org) and click on Programs, and select Awareness Activities. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. provides education, information, help and hope in the fight against the chronic and often fatal disease of alcoholism, and other drug addictions. Founded in 1944, NCADD, with its nationwide network of Affiliates, advocates prevention, intervention and treatment and is committed to ridding the disease of its stigma and its sufferers from their denial and shame. # # # (INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION)

30-SECOND PSA SCRIPTS

Instructions for use: 1) Adapt any or all of the following "live copy" radio scripts for local use. 2) Type each script, double-spaced, on your letterhead with the name of a contact person from your organization. 3) Submit scripts to radio public service directors in your community in early November. Your chances of getting them aired may increase if you try to give each radio station a different script. 4) Follow up with a phone call to the public service director 3-5 days after you submit the scripts asking if they have arrived and if broadcast during the holiday period will be possible. 5) If the public service director was receptive to your first phone call, follow up with additional phone calls before Thanksgiving and Christmas to remind him or her of the PSA. 6) Send a thank you note to the manager of any radio station that airs one of your PSAs. Scripts: (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION) reminds you: holiday spirits don't have to come in a bottle. If you plan on hosting a holiday party, remember to offer your guests non-alcoholic refreshments and nutritious food. Monitor your guest's drinking, serve them measured, standard drinks, and stop serving alcohol at least one hour before your party ends. For more safe holiday tips, call (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). That's (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION) reminds you: holiday spirits don't have to come in a bottle. If you plan on hosting a holiday party, remember never to serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest. Offer him or a her a non-alcoholic drink, but remember that nothing can "sober up" a person immediately. coffee or a cold shower can create only a wide awake drunk instead of a sleeping one. For more safe holiday tips, call (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). That's (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). Holiday spirits don't have to come in a bottle, reminds (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION). If you're hosting a party, don't let alcohol become the focus of your celebration. Serve your guests plenty of food and make sure that non-alcoholic drinks are available too. For more safe holiday tips, call (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). That's (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). Holiday spirits don't have to come in a bottle, reminds (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION). If you've been invited to a party, try bringing your host a non-alcoholic gift that everyone can enjoy. It can leave you and the other guests with more than a hangover. For more safe holiday tips, call (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). That's (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). Holiday spirits don't have to come in a bottle, reminds (INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION). If you're going to be partying with alcohol, don't drive and keep your drinking moderate. That means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one for women. For more safe holiday tips, call (INSERT PHONE NUMBER). That's (INSERT PHONE NUMBER).

TIPS FOR SAFE HOLIDAY PARTIES

Be sure that this year's holidays live up to your expectations. Take care of your friends, your family and yourself by following these simple guidelines. FOR HOSTS: Do not let someone who has been drinking drive. Arrange for him or her to sleep in your home or to ride with a sober driver. Provide your guests with an attractive selection of non-alcoholic beverages. Remember that about one-third of all adults in the U.S. abstain from drinking alcohol completely for a variety of reasons. Remember, too, that informed, health-conscious adults whom you know to drink on occasion will prefer non-alcoholic beverages in the following situations: if they are pregnant or trying to conceive if they are using medicine of any kind if they have had difficulty keeping their drinking moderate in the past if they plan to drive after your party if they wish for some other reason to avoid any of alcohol's many short-and long-term effects. Never serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, for whom it is an illegal drug. Remember that your responsibility for drinking by underage guests lasts beyond the time they are in your home. Remember, too, that alcohol-related car crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-to 24-year-olds. Provide your guests with nutritious food. Eating will slow alcohol's effects. Appoint a bartender to monitor guests' drinking and serve measured, standard drinks rather than doubles or "holiday specials." Guests can better control their drinking when they are drinking amounts with which they are familiar. Do not serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest. Offer him or her a non-alcoholic drink, but remember that nothing can "sober up" a person immediately. It takes the human body approximately two hours to metabolize each ounce of alcohol; coffee or a cold shower can only create a wide-awake drunk instead of a sleeping one. Choose fruit juices instead of carbonated mixers. Carbonation speeds alcohol absorption. Be sure that drinking does not become the primary focus or activity of your party. Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends. FOR GUESTS: Do not drink if any of the following is true: you are pregnant or trying to conceive you are using medicine of any kind you have had difficulty keeping your drinking moderate in the past Feel free to refuse alcohol for any other reason, regardless of pressure or encouragement to drink. Do not drink if you are a child or adolescent. For anyone under 21, alcohol poses a number of serious health risks. In addition, it is for this age group an illegal drug. If you drive, do not drink; if you drink, do not drive. There is no safe level of alcohol for drivers because everyone reacts differently to alcohol on different occasions. If you are going out with others, decide beforehand who will drive on the return trip. Do not ride with drivers who have been drinking. Eat before and during occasions when you are drinking. If you are a woman, remember that alcohol will have a greater effect on you than it will on a man of your weight.

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Southern Style Eggnog 4 eggs, separated 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 3 cups milk 1 cup whipping cream 2 tsp. vanilla extract nutmeg whipped cream to garnish While beating egg yolks, gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Stir in milk and cream gradually. Cook mixture over hot water or over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats a metal spoon. Cool. Add vanilla extract and chill thoroughly. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat the refrigerated mixture until smooth and frothy. Fold in beaten egg whites. Sprinkle with nutmeg and garnish with whipped cream. Makes two quarts. Sparkling Punch 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice 1 cup orange juice juice of two lemons juice of two limes 11 oz. sparkling water Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Pour over ice cubes made of sparkling water. Makes 4 servings. Banana Delight 2 cups milk 1 ripe banana, sliced 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/8 tsp. almond extract Place all ingredients in a blender. Mix at high speed until mixture is smooth (about 30 seconds). Makes 4 servings. Ginger Mint 1 whole fresh lime ginger ale fresh mint Squeeze fresh lime juice into a tall frosted glass. Add some ice cubes and fill with ginger ale. Stir, and top with sprigs of fresh mint. Makes one tall glass. Pink Mist 5 oz. grapefruit juice 1 oz. grenadine 2 oz. pina colada mix splash of seltzer Blend ingredients and serve over ice. Garnish with pineapple and cherry. Makes one serving. Frosty Mocha 1/2 gal. chocolate ice cream, softened 8 cups coffee, chilled 1 pint half & half 1 tsp. almond extract 1/8 tsp. salt 1 square semi-sweet chocolate, grated 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon With mixer at low speed, beat ice cream and 3 cups coffee until smooth. In chilled 5-6 quart punch bowl, stir ice cream mixture, half & half, almond extract, salt and 5 cups coffee until blended. Sprinkle top with grated chocolate and cinnamon. Makes 16 8-oz. servings. Mistletoe Punch 1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 6 cups water 1/2 cup grenadine syrup 1 quart ginger ale, chilled Combine all the ingredients, except last two, in a punch bowl. Just before serving, add some ice cubes and gently stir in the ginger ale. Garnish with lemon slice and maraschino cherry. Makes 30 punch cup servings. Citrus Cider 2 quarts apple cider or apple juice 3 cups water 1 6-oz. can frozen orange-pineapple juice concentrate, thawed 1/2 cup light molasses 4 inches stick cinnamon 1 tsp. whole cloves Combine cider, water, juice concentrate, molasses, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer for 10 minutes. If desired, float apple slices on top of cider. Makes 24 servings. Cranberry Tea Punch 2 32-oz. bottles cranberry juice cocktail 2 cups brewed tea 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 small lemon, thinly sliced Over high heat, combine juices, cloves, tea and sugar until sugar is dissolved and punch is hot, stirring occasionally. Float lemon slices on punch. Makes 10 cups.

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National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)