MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A student organization aimed at seeking solutions to the problems of underaged drinking and drunk driving announced a creative way to raise awareness to the subject among teen drivers.
Student filmmakers in Memphis could win up to $2,000 in the NIAAA Challenge, a film contest aimed at raising awareness against underage drinking.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) announced the film contest Friday, in partnership with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for the NIAA Challenge, offering students cash prizes for videos advocating against underaged drinking.
Students aged 11 to 21 can create and submit original videos between one and two minutes long which touch on key issues with underaged drinking, namely decision making, driving under the influence, and peer pressure.
For a full list of rules, guidelines and where to sign up, go HERE. Video submissions run through May 19, and the winners can get up to $2,000.
Scott Myers, the executive director of SADD, said the decline of teen crashes involving alcohol across the country is a reflection upon their program, among others, helping raise awareness to the issue of drunk driving and underage drinking.
"There's still a lot of work to do, but [crash numbers] are going down," Myers said. "Part of that is really the awareness and education of the community, [teaching] the importance of putting the phone down and not getting behind the wheel when you're drinking."
Crash data from TDOT shows alcohol-related crashes in Shelby County have steadily declined year-over-year since a high of 736 in 2013. In 2023, that number was 273.
Myers said he believes SADD's model works among teen drivers because it's built upon empowering teens to help each other.
