Safety & Education

a family of 4 sitting in a park working on homework together

ALCOHOL EDUCATION DIVISION

The Utah DABS Alcohol Education Division (AED) works in communities with families, health and education leaders, public safety officials, stakeholders, and other partners to prevent alcohol misuse and abuse. The division informs Utahns of the harmful effects of excessive consumption of alcohol products by adults, consumption of alcoholic products by minors, and impaired driving.

Doug Murakami, AED Director, presents on the harms of alcohol misuse and abuse to many community boards and organizations. Doug also presents about preventing underage drinking, using the DABS’s Parents Empowered model.

IN THE NEWS: DABS marks Parents Empowered Month by reminding caregivers of their role in stopping underage drinking

Read more information about DABS Laws & Policies.

Parents Empowered is a DABS-funded, statewide media and community education campaign to reduce underage drinking in Utah.

The research shows:

Parents are the number one reason kids don’t drink.
Kids are less likely to drink when parents are actively involved in their lives and communicate their clear disapproval of drinking before the age of 21.

Parents Empowered is community-based:

Weekly workgroup meetings that includes Utah’s 13 regional local substance abuse authorities who are located in communities throughout the state.
The workgroup organizes community events, art displays, and other activities throughout the state on a monthly basis.
Partnerships are a key to Parents Empowered’s success! The workgroup connects with other health and education organizations to amplify the message that drinking underage is harmful to kids’ developing brains.

Find more information, tools, and resources at ParentsEmpowered.org. Follow Parents Empowered on Facebook and Instagram.

The DABS contributes dedicated funding to alcohol education and safety.

Pie chart displaying DABS funding toward alcohol safety education for FY22.

State Board of Education Prevention and Student Services funds underage drinking and substance abuse prevention in-school program funding directed to educate Utah’s students to reduce underage drinking and substance abuse.
Parents Empowered funding dedicated to the evidence-based media and education campaign that produces advertisements and other materials to share their message, as well as community events held statewide.
Public Safety funding directed to Utah’s Department of Public Safety, for their division that investigates alcohol related crimes and prevents underage drinking through the Covert Underage Buyer (CUB) program.

Utah’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Workgroup
Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council’s DUI Committee.
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association’s Education Committee.
Utah Prevention Advisory Council (UPAC)
USAAV+ Council – Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council.
Participate in various community coalitions throughout Utah
Parents Empowered – Utah’s Statewide Underage Drinking Prevention Media and Community Education Campaign