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Resources & Education2025-04-18T12:43:51-04:00

Alcohol Education Resources

Learn how to help the children and young adults in your life

Underage Drinking Prevention Starts With Education

Effective alcohol education for young people can help prevent underage drinking and set our children up for a healthier relationship with alcohol. By equipping parents, guardians, teachers, and other members of the parenting community with research and resources on underage drinking, we’re preparing them to tackle this important topic with the young people in their lives.

At Talk it Out NC, we continue to build on the research already completed, lessons learned, and achievements by other underage drinking initiatives throughout our state and across the country. Some examples include alcohol education programming in other alcohol-control states and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 1

Research on Underage Drinking

The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission is committed to eliminating underage drinking in our state by educating the public and providing and connecting alcohol education resources. In 2014, the Commission’s Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking conducted a first-of-its-kind statewide quantitative and qualitative research project to help cultivate an understanding of the magnitude of the problem and assess the mindset of parents and children.

In subsequent years that followed, the ABC Commission conducted additional research to measure the effectiveness of the Talk it Out NC campaign and determine how well the message resonated with the North Carolina community. The research also helped to identify ways the program could increase its impact on parents and other youth leaders in North Carolina and provide them with underage drinking prevention resources. 2

The State of Underage Drinking in North Carolina

The findings from the North Carolina ABC Commission research were used to identify areas of success, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations on how Talk it Out NC could be further developed.

In 2023, the NC ABC Commission conducted a survey of more than 800 parents, as well as students ages 11 to 18, to better understand teenage alcohol use in North Carolina. The results are a snapshot of underage drinking perceptions and behaviors in North Carolina, including peer, parental, and social media influences on a teen’s decision to drink alcohol.

In spring 2017, the NC ABC Commission conducted a statewide poll of middle and high school students and parents of middle and high school students.

The results of this research, which are available in the links below, were used to identify points of success, areas for improvement and insights for further initiative development.

In spring 2016, the NC ABC Commission embarked on its third round of custom research. Research began with focus groups of middle-school-aged boys, middle-school-aged girls, and parents of middle school students. The Commission then conducted a statewide poll of middle and high school students and parents of middle and high school students.

The results of this research—available in the links below—were used to identify points of success, areas for improvement and insights for further initiative development.

In spring 2015, the NC ABC Commission conducted a statewide poll of middle and high school students and parents of middle and high school students.

The results of this research, which are available in the links below, were used to identify points of success, areas for improvement and insights for further initiative development.

In summer 2014, the NC ABC Commission conducted a statewide poll of middle and high school students and parents of middle and high school students. Immediately following the poll, the NC ABC Commission conducted focus groups with middle-school-aged boys, middle-school-aged girls, and parents of middle school students.

The results of this research, which are available in the links below, helped to inform the messaging, materials, and components of the Talk It Out initiative.

The Outlook on Underage Drinking Across
the United States

How does North Carolina measure up to what’s happening across the country?

Get national updates on underage drinking, read the latest research, and discover alcohol education resources.

Downloadable Resources

The following materials were developed by the NC ABC Commission for the Talk It Out campaign.

Governor’s Highway Safety Program

The following materials were developed in partnership with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

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Preventing Underage Drinking Starts at Home: Talk It Out NC Empowers Parents and Children to Take Action Against Underage Drinking

April 1, 2025|

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 1, 2025) – Talk it Out NC, the North Carolina initiative to prevent underage drinking, is encouraging [...]

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