The United States Coast Guard has launched its new nationwide safe boating campaign. It is designed to: encourage the use of life jackets, also known as Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs), and reduce the incidents of boating while under the influence of alcohol. According to the Coast Guard, 77% of all fatalities on the water involve people who do not wear their PFDs. More than 800 Americans die each year from boating accidents, and over half of them are alcohol related. For more information call the U.S. Coast Guard Infoline at 800-368-5647.

Minnesota Alcohol Awareness Kit

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) declared April Alcohol Awareness Month. In support of this theme, the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center created an alcohol awareness kit with both national and Minnesota specific materials to be used anytime during the year. Any of the materials in the kit are reproducible. The kit includes:

Encourage your community to take a closer look at how drinking -America's number one drug problem- affects people of all ages. For your FREE kit, send an e-mail message to mprc-order@miph.org. Check out the What's New section of our Web site to get information about other national alcohol awareness kits, http://www.miph.org.