Logan, UT – As part of Parents Empowered Month, the Bear River Health Department is partnering with Utah State University basketball to spread the word about preventing underage drinking at the Jan. 28 men’s basketball game against San Jose State.The department will be putting on a halftime show to highlight the dangers of underage drinking and the importance of prevention. In Utah, many kids now begin drinking alcohol in elementary school, and binge drinking can become a common activity by the time they reach 10th grade. Because the brain is still developing at this age, alcohol consumption is very dangerous.”Believe it or not, teens listen to their parents more than anybody else. A statewide survey reported, teens reported that the number one reason they choose not to drink alcohol is parental disapproval,” said Cathy Lloyd, prevention coordinator for the Bear River Health Department. “We hope that being part of the Aggie game will be a fun way to remind parents to talk to their children and set clear rules and expectation regarding underage drinking. We will be hosting a time out and there will be a fun give away for the first 500 people at the game.”Education is not enough to prevent kids from drinking. There are constant pressures to drink alcohol. In addition to media advertising and peer pressure, the brain area that promotes risk-taking and impulsive behavior develops early in a teen, while the area of the brain that promotes self-control and good judgment isn’t fully developed until much later. Talk to your kids while they are still young. Parents who talk to and encourage their children, set clear rules and expectations and are actively involved in their kids’ lives have a powerful influence on their children’s decision to stay alcohol-free.For more information on underage drinking and the proven skills to prevent it, log on to parentsempowered.org.