RALEIGH -  Governor Pat McCrory urged parents and adults to talk to young people about the dangers of underage drinking during the launch of the “Talk- It-Out” campaign which was held today at Daniels Middle School in Raleigh.

"We must change the culture that treats underage drinking as a rite of passage or considers it less dangerous than drug abuse,” said Governor McCrory. “The reality is more teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illicit drugs combined. Targeting our efforts toward the younger population will hopefully help stop substance abuse before it starts.”

Combating substance and alcohol abuse in North Carolina was a major commitment Governor McCrory made in his 2013 State of the State address. The “Talk-It Out” campaign is the second major alcohol abuse prevention program developed by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, chaired by former Lieutenant Governor Jim Gardner, to combat alcohol abuse among young people. Earlier this year, Governor McCrory signed an executive order creating a task force aimed at reducing substance abuse and underage drinking. He signed the order at East Carolina University, one of six University of North Carolina (UNC) campuses that will take part in a pilot program that will emphasize prevention and treatment.

Chairman Gardner also unveiled research done by the ABC Commission Governor McCrory shared some of the study’s findings with students, parents, faculty and PTA members gathered at Daniels Middle School.

The findings include:   More kids try alcohol for the first time in middle school than try it first in high school.   38 percent of eighth graders have had alcohol at least once.  5.7 percent of 7th - graders and 12.4 percent of 8th - graders reported binge drinking… that’s 5 or more drinks at one sitting… during the past 30 days.

However, Governor McCrory also noted that students told researchers that the problem would be lessened if parents spoke more often to their children about the hazards of underage drinking.

The governor told parents that it would take a series of conversations with their children to stop alcohol abuse before it happens, but said the results are well worth the effort. Research shows that a child who gets to age 21 without abusing alcohol is virtually certain never to do so during their lifetime.

To help parents talk to their children about underage drinking Governor McCrory and ABC Commission have placed numerous resources on the web at talkitoutnc.org.