NB High Schools to Receive Free Anti-Impaired Driving Show

Provincial Media Release/July 27, 2010 – School may be out for summer but the need to protect young people from impaired driving never takes a holiday. To that end, MADD Canada and NB Liquor are teaming up to make sure the sober driving message reaches thousands of high school students starting this September.

Thanks to a 2-year sponsorship commitment from NB Liquor, the MADD Canada School Multi-Media Assembly Program will be delivered – free of charge – to more than 50,000 high schools students in New Brunswick in both the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.

Educating students about the consequences of impaired driving is critical because alcohol-related crashes take a heavy toll on young people. One in every three people who die on Canada’s roads due to alcohol-related crashes are under the age of 25.

“Our School Multi-Media Assembly Program reaches out to students and helps them understand that impaired driving does not just happen to strangers; it can happen to classmates, friends and peers,” said MADD Canada Chief Executive Andrew Murie, who is in New Brunswick this Wednesday to highlight the School Multi-Media Assembly Program and to join Premier Shawn Graham and NB Liquor to launch the corporation’s 4-day in-store, prompted donation campaign in support of MADD Canada. The funds raised are used to support the school program and Campaign 911, with a portion also going to all Chapters to support local activities.

Each September, a new multi-media program is delivered to approximately 1 million students across the country. The 2010-2011 program, titled Shattered, is a particularly moving dramatization about high school friends and family members on a typical Saturday night and how the decisions of a few have life-altering consequences for all of them. The story is interspersed with testimonials from several young adults, themselves victims of impaired driving, whose own stories closely parallel the situations in the film.

“The key message that we want students to take away from this program is that impaired driving deaths and injuries are 100% preventable,” Mr. Murie said. “Every student has the power to prevent a tragedy by making the right choices.”

NB Liquor has been instrumental in getting the program out to New Brunswick high school students. Last year, the corporation directly sponsored 20 screenings and helped bring MADD Canada’s first-ever French assembly program to New Brunswick. Now, with this two year commitment, the School Multi-Media Assembly Program will reach more New Brunswick high school students than ever before.

“We are pleased to support this important initiative to educate youth about the dangers of impaired driving,” said Dana Clendenning, President and Chief Executive Officer, NB Liquor. “This school program helps young people understand the importance of making responsible choices and promotes good driving habits which will make our roads safer for everyone.”

NB Liquor is a long-standing partner of MADD Canada, having supported Project Red Ribbon for many years and helping to launch Campaign 911 in New Brunswick in 2009. Its employees and customers raise funds for MADD Canada through in-store prompted donation campaigns and proceeds from the sale of its new re-usable, recyclable shopping bags.

“NB Liquor’s contributions to the fight to stop impaired driving are significant,” Mr. Murie said. “From its own social responsibility programs and measures to prevent alcohol sales to minors, to its very generous support of MADD Canada Chapters and programs, NB Liquor is a valued partner in the effort to prevent impaired driving in New Brunswick.”

About MADD Canada

MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.

About ANBL

Alcool NB Liquor (ANBL) is a Crown Corporation of the Province of New Brunswick with annual sales of $394.8 million and with a network of 48 retail stores, 70 licensed agency partners, 395 permanent employees and 1983 regular listed products. While responsibly hosting New Brunswick’s beverage alcohol experience, ANBL’s vision is to be recognized as a high performance retailer, engaging employees in service excellence.

For more information, contact:

Andrew Murie, MADD Canada Chief Executive Officer,
1-800-665-6233, ext. 224

Deb Kelly, MADD Canada Communications Manager,
1-800-665-6233, ext. 240

Nora Lacey, NB Liquor, 506-292-2647

To preview Shattered, MADD Canada’s 2010-2011 Multi-Media Assembly Program, visit www.madd.ca.