The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has awarded a $750,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Safety Administration to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The purpose of the grant is to educate teens, young adults, and the public on the consequences of impaired driving to reduce driving deaths and injuries.

ABC will administer the grant to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in an effort to combat impaired driving. Funding from this grant will provide opportunities for students, educators, parents, prevention specialists and law enforcement to collaborate on projects that educate youth about the dangers of underage drinking, driving under the influence, binge drinking, and alcohol abuse. The grant program runs through September 2025.

Grant resources will be used for training committees of college-age students to present the risks of underage drinking to their peers, creating a teen influencer YouTube channel aimed at preventing underage drinking, and delivering statewide presentations to parents about how to talk to their children about underage drinking.

“ABC promotes this initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving and underage drinking,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “We share a collective goal in enhancing the safety of California’s roadways for everyone.”

ABC protects communities through education and by administering prevention and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws. ABC off-sale licensees and their employees are encouraged to take ABC’s LEAD training online. The training classes are designed to help achieve higher compliance with alcoholic beverage laws. LEAD stands for Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs.

To learn more about ABC programs that help protect communities, prevent alcohol-related harm, and save lives, visit ABC’s website.