Be Safe and Act Responsibly During “Cinco de Mayo” Festivities

The following is a guest post from ADAPT Member and Rutgers University student Lisa Joseph.

Cinco de Mayo (The 5^th of May) on May 5, 2013 is right around the corner, and unfortunately, instead of being a day to celebrate Mexican culture and unity, it has become what some consider an “alcoholiday.” Celebrations as such glamorize drinking and encourage underage youth to participate in illegal substance use. The alcohol industry turned Cinco de Mayo into a holiday represented by binge drinking and underage youth are a primary target for their advertising.

So, what is the impact of alcohol-sponsored events like Cinco de Mayo? According to research, “Cinco de Mayo celebrations have been increasingly infested with violence, crime, underage drinking, increased DUI citations and other problems.” As a result, our communities suffer and our children suffer. We encourage communities to take a stand against the alcohol industry and bring the true meaning of holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo, back to its roots.

Campaigns such as “Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo” (The 5^th of May with Pride) try to change the situation by promoting the true meaning of the holiday and to support safe, alcohol-free, family oriented and culturally appropriate celebrations.

ADAPT encourages you to conduct a “self-assessment” in your community and discuss ways to decrease alcohol-sponsored events and underage and binge drinking in your community. Feel free to come to ADAPT’s next Coalition meeting (June 13, 2013 at 170 Scotland Road, Orange, NJ at 10:00am) to discuss what you saw or heard during “Cinco de Mayo” celebrations in your neighborhood and ways to educate the community about the dangers of underage substance use and binge drinking.