What is Reach Out Now?

Reach Out Now is a collaboration by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Scholastic Inc., to provide school-based, underage alcohol use prevention materials in time for Alcohol Awareness Month each April. This two-part set of materials is designed especially for use by fifth- and sixth-grade students, their families, and their teachers, and is sent to fifth- and sixth-grade classroom teachers nationwide each year.

What is a Reach Out Now National Teach-In?

Teach-Ins are an opportunity for prominent national, youth, State, and local leaders-using a research-based curriculum and other helpful materials provided by SAMHSA-to teach fifth and sixth graders, parents, teachers, and the community about the dangers of underage alcohol use and encourage young people to make healthy decisions.

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• Describe some of the effects of alcohol on the brain and body
• Identify effective alternatives to using alcohol
• Work in groups to develop an effective alcohol prevention message.

How can I hold a Teach-in

Teach-Ins can occur any time during the year, but we encourage you to conduct it during Alcohol Awareness Month.

Why is it important?

According to SAMHSA's 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10.8 million youth ages 12–20 (nearly 30 percent) reported using alcohol at least once in the month prior to the survey. A recent national survey revealed that about one-third of fifth and sixth graders said that alcohol was easy to get.

Why do we care about the age of first use? Research shows that those who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol problems later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older. For all these reasons, the fifth and sixth grades are not too early to begin sending clear messages about underage alcohol use. Teach-Ins are meant to further alert children, parents, and teachers about the dangers of underage alcohol use, and to reinforce the messages in these school-based materials.