New Website Warns Teen Athletes About Drinking

The New Mexico Department of Transportation has teamed up with a state school athletic group to launch an interactive alcohol education website aimed at high school athletes – but with a twist on typical teen anti-drinking messages.

LifeOfAnAthlete.com emphasizes the negative effects of alcohol on athletic performance, in addition to other dangers. For example, teens taking the online course learn that one night of getting drunk can undo two weeks of athletic conditioning.

“The key is to start speaking to kids in a way they’ve never been spoken to before,” said New Mexico Activities Association associate director Robert Zayas at a press conference announcing the website, reported by the Albuquerque Journal.

The online program also features stories about New Mexico athletes who have learned the hard way about the harms of alcohol, including an interview with former football star Gabe Gurule, who was convicted of vehicular homicide after killing three people in an alcohol-fueled crash.

New Mexico ranks first in the nation in the percentage of kids who have their first drink prior to the age of 13. The new site received national publicity in USA Today this week.