WESTCHESTER PARENTS CALLED ON TO PREVENT UNDERAGE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL AND HELP THEIR CHILDREN CELEBRATE GRADUATION ALCOHOL-FREE

Contact:
Tamara Moore

Heineken USA
(914) 681-4153
Email: tmoore@heinekenusa.com

White Plains, N.Y. – May 24, 2007 – In advance of the high school graduation season and with the support of the Westchester County District Attorney, the Health Alliance on Alcohol (HAA) today launched the Parent Pledge program, an initiative where parents actively pledge to not sell, purchase or supply alcohol to anyone under 21 or host an event where underage consumption is allowed.

This new program builds on a foundation established by other programs enacted by the Health Alliance on Alcohol, whose members include the White Plains Hospital Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Heineken USA, to deter underage access to alcohol through active participation by Westchester parents. Among these programs are Heineken USA and the Westchester County District Attorney’s coordinated efforts on Operation Teen Proof and county-specific public service announcements.

By signing the pledge, available at www.HealthAllianceonAlcohol.com, parents state their agreement to:

• Not sell, purchase, or supply alcohol to anyone under 21
• Not host events where underage consumption is allowed
• Not consent to their child attending an event where underage consumption is allowed
• Have on-going conversations about alcohol and underage drinking with their child
• Not drive when impaired or get in a car with an impaired driver
• Drive or make arrangement for their child if they are caught in a situation with only an impaired driver for transportation
• Talk to and encourage other parents to take the pledge

“The timing for launching this initiative is very appropriate, during the graduation season,” said Jon Schandler, president and chief executive officer, White Plains Hospital Center. “Teens celebrating this milestone should enjoy the occasion with family and friends in a responsible and safe manner. The efforts of the White Plains Hospital Center and the Health Alliance on Alcohol help parents take an active role in their children’s education – beyond the classroom – including the responsibility and legal restrictions surrounding access to alcohol.”

“Underage drinking is a serious issue we face during prom and graduation season and throughout the year,” said Janet DiFiore, district attorney, Westchester County. “I’m glad to see prominent members of our community join forces to address the issue and help deliver against my commitment to keep Westchester families and residents safe. The next step is up to the parents of this county. I highly encourage local parents and child caregivers to take the Parent Pledge today.”

Identifying the Threats and Parents’ Roles

“The employees of Heineken USA take seriously our responsibility to market and sell our products in a responsible manner and to educate consumers about the importance of responsible alcohol consumption,” said Dan Tearno, senior vice president, Heineken USA. “The Parent Pledge program is consistent with this ongoing commitment and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact it makes on the larger Westchester County community. We encourage parents to visit the HAA website and take the first step in talking to their kids about issues related to alcohol by taking the Parent Pledge today.”

Commitment to Empowering Parents

The Parent Pledge is the most recent activity implemented as part of the HAA’s national public education initiative to attack the problem of underage consumption of alcohol beverages through parent-child communications.

The cornerstone of the HAA’s activities is the Facts & Conversations book series, which offers conversation starters for parents whose children may feel pressured by their peers or compelled to engage in underage drinking and provides a productive outline for how to approach the issue with teens at various ages. The educational books are written by experts and thought leaders to explore the benefits of parent-child communication.

Books in the Facts & Conversations series include:

• Teen Driving and Alcohol
• College and Alcohol
• Talking to Teens: Prom, Graduation and Alcohol
• Talking to Teens: Peer Pressure
• Talking to Teens: Underage Drinking

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Health Alliance on Alcohol

The Health Alliance on Alcohol is a national education initiative on underage consumption of alcohol through parent/child communications that includes partner members Heineken USA; the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, the largest secular not-for-profit non-governmental healthcare system in the U.S.; and White Plains Hospital Center, a voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high-quality, acute health care and preventative medical care to people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. Please visit HealthAllianceonAlcohol.com.

Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Premium Light and Amstel Light, leading imported light beer brands; Heineken Dark; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. Please visit www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.

The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, the largest secular not-for-profit non-governmental health care system in the U.S., is committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective, and accessible care to communities throughout the greater New York Metropolitan region. The System, made up of 34 acute care hospitals, 100 ambulatory sites, 7 residential health care facilities, three specialty institutions, and more than 13,000 affiliated physicians, serves one in four patients in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area. System members are affiliates of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University or Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. During 2004, System institutions discharged more than 500,000 inpatient cases and provided more than 5,000,000 outpatient visits. For additional information, visit www.nyp.org.

White Plains Hospital Center
White Plains Hospital Center is a voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute health care and preventative medical care in a compassionate manner to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. The Hospital has the busiest Emergency Department in Westchester County treating approximately 42,000 patients in 2004. Its "Centers of Excellence" include cardiology, emergency medicine, endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, oncology, orthopedics, neonatal and maternity and radiology. The Hospital has won the National Research Corporation "Consumer Choice Award" for Westchester County for times, most recently in 2004. WPHC is an affiliate of the NewYork- Presbyterian Healthcare System and a member of Stellaris Health Network, Inc. and Voluntary Hospitals of America, Inc. For further information, please call 914-681-1119 or log onto our website at www.wphospital.org