SADD History

SADD Profile

For more than 30 years, SADD has been committed to empowering young people to lead education and prevention initiatives in their schools and communities. Founded as Students Against Driving Drunk in 1981 in Wayland, Massachusetts, SADD has grown to become the nation’s leading peer-to-peer youth education and prevention organization with thousands of chapters in middle schools, high schools and colleges. In 1997, in response to requests from SADD students themselves, SADD expanded its mission and name and now sponsors chapters called Students Against Destructive Decisions. SADD continues to endorse a firm "No Use" message related to use of alcohol and other drugs. With its expanded focus, SADD now highlights prevention of all destructive behaviors and attitudes that are harmful to young people, including underage drinking, substance abuse, impaired driving, violence, and suicide.

SADD’s unique approach involves young people delivering education and prevention messages to their peers through school- and communitywide activities and campaigns responsive to the needs of their particular locations. Projects may include peer-led classes and theme-focused forums, teen workshops, conferences and rallies, prevention education and leadership training, awareness-raising activities and legislative work. Independent studies have shown that students in schools with an established SADD chapter are more aware of and informed about the risks of underage drinking, other drug use, and impaired driving. Students in schools with a SADD chapter are also more likely to hold attitudes reflecting positive reasons not to use alcohol.

Located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the national office of SADD, Inc. supports the growth and development of SADD chapters across the country and promotes awareness of youth issues in the population at large. SADD National assists chapters via a network of state coordinators funded through government or charitable organizations to deliver education and prevention materials and programming to youth. SADD National also distributes a newsletter and program information, hosts a Web site, runs a national conference, conducts national research on teen attitudes and behaviors, sponsors a Student Leadership Council and Student of the Year, oversees use of the SADD name and mark, and raises funds for dissemination of information and programming.

Through the years, SADD National has worked with many federal and state agencies and other nonprofit groups and foundations to capitalize on the energy and resources of SADD chapters. Through these joint efforts, SADD has built strong leadership among adolescents, mobilized statewide collaboration with community partners, fostered awareness of and support for youth initiatives, and organized the efforts of those beyond the SADD chapters to promote youth health and safety.

SADD: Then and Now – 25th Anniversary Video
by Cory Erickson, Sub-Zero Productions © 2006

The History of SADD

1981	SADD is founded by Robert Anastas at Wayland High School in Massachusetts. He and a group of 15 students develop the SADD concept and the Contract for Life. More than 6000 youth are killed in alcohol-related crashes.
1982	Massachusetts Governor Edward King arrives by helicopter at Wayland High School to launch the first-ever SADD Week. SADD goes national with chapters founded throughout Massachusetts, Arizona, North Carolina, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania and Maine.
1983	Robert Anastas receives the Department of Health and Human Services Appreciation Award for his efforts to start a student-based, anti-drunk driving movement. SADD public service announcements run in every television market in America.
1984	Dear Abby and Ann Landers print the Contract for Life and suggest to all readers that they request a copy from SADD. The tiny SADD National office is inundated with 8,000 requests per week for six weeks. "Contract for Life: The SADD Story" airs on CBS as a CBS Schoolbreak Special. Governor Michael Dukakis visits proms throughout Massachusetts, encouraging students not to drink and drive. Carl Olsen, the first SADD president at Wayland High School, is appointed by the Director of Health and Human Services as the only student to a three-year panel studying the alcoholism in America. SADD launches its "101 Day Campaign" promoting summer safety activities for the whole community.
1985	SADD chapters are established in Germany and Guam. The first official summer camp chapter is established at Cape Cod Sea Camps. Active members hail from many different states and 10 foreign countries. SADD’s college program is launched in March. SADD has its first presidential moment when President Reagan meets with SADD students of River Dell High School in New Jersey and compliments them on their important role in the national effort of drunk driving prevention. SADD headquarters receives 350-350 letters per day.
1986	PocketBooks, a division of Simon and Schuster publishes The Contract for Life by Robert Anastas. William Cullinane is appointed Assistant Director of SADD. SADD is featured in Seventeen magazine. The SADD Junior High School program, “I’m Special Because I’m Me,” is launched November 13, 1985. First Lady Nancy Reagan sends greetings to SADD’s October Florida conference.
1987	In a January episode, the NBC television program Fame, about the New York high school for the music and performing arts, features an episode entitled "Go Softly Into the Morning" in which a student is the victim of an impaired driver and the school establishes a SADD chapter in response. The National Football League presents a donation to Robert Anastas and Ron Burton, SADD Board member and former player for the New England Patriots, at a New England Patriots–Atlanta Falcons game.
1988	The "Friends for Life" campaign is launched to combat illegal drinking, drug abuse and impaired driving. The Contract for Life movie receives a Humanitarian Award from Video Insider, a video industry trade magazine. Five members of the Wayland High School SADD chapter accompany Robert Anastas to Washington, DC, to meet with Richard Schwiecker, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to discuss peer-to-peer education. SADD information is sent to students in Africa, Australia, China, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, and the Netherlands.
1989	SADD chapters are established in middle and high schools in the Soviet Union. The Student Athletes Detest Drugs program is launched with support of Governors, Senators and Congressional representatives from across the country. The first SADD National Conference for State Coordinators is held on Singer Island, Florida. The SADD National Board of Directors votes to cease accepting contributions from the alcohol industry.
1990	The number of youth killed in alcohol-related crashes declines to just over 2,000. The American College of Physicians awards the Edward G. Loveland Memorial Award to SADD for its contributions to the health field. Letters of commendation are received from the Secretary of Transportation, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Senator Pete Wilson (CA), and Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT). First-time SADD students meet on Singer Island, Florida, for the SADD national conference.
1991	SADD celebrates its 10th anniversary. Composer Ben Allaway writes an anthem for SADD entitled "If You Were Standing Here." SADD’s national conference on Singer Island, Florida, is attended by 100 students and 56 advisors. SADD’s first Student of the Year is Wendy Shierling from La Grange, Georgia.
1992	SADD receives the "Mickey Award" from the Mickey Mouse Club. SADD’s Student of the Year is Doug Gibson of Edwardsburg, Michigan. William Cullinane becomes Executive Director of SADD.
1993	Michigan SADD members meet with U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello. SADD’s Student of the Year is Amy Fradette of Hardwick, Vermont. On April 24, 1993, the SADD Board of Directors votes not to accept funds from the alcohol industry.
1994	SADD names its first Student Leadership Council. Clearasil and Noxzema sponsor SADD Awareness Month. SADD’s Student of the Year is Trey Harper of Indianola, Mississippi.
1995	SADD initiates its "Strides for Safety" campaign. SADD receives a letter of commendation from President Bill Clinton. SADD’s Student of the Year, Margaret Alstaetter from Bellefontaine, Ohio. Research from the Pruesser Group concludes that “Students at SADD schools were more likely to hold attitudes reflecting positive reasons as to why NOT to use alcohol.”
1996	SADD launches its "Stand Up and Speak Out" program. SADD celebrates its 15th anniversary. Margaret Altstaetter, SADD Student of the Year 1995-1996, is invited to participate in the White House Leadership Conference on Youth, Drug Use and Violence.
1997	SADD adopts a new name: Students Against Destructive Decisions. SADD changes its logo from to SADD’s Student of the Year is Nikki Finch of Tampa, Florida. SADD launches its 2000 x 2000 campaign.
1998	SADD names Kyra White of Arizona as Student of the Year. NHTSA administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez joins SADD students on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, DC, in taking the "Together We Can" pledge.
1999	SADD’s Student of the Year is Kelly Standiford of Baltimore, Maryland. Members of Baltimore County SADD attend a White House press conference, where they meet with President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton to denounce school violence. Three Student Leadership Council members, Lynsey Ross, Jereme McBride, and Carrie LeBlanc, are appointed to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Leadership Team.
2000	SADD’s Board of Directors appoints Penny Wells as its new President and Executive Director. SADD’s Student of the Year is Katie Hultin of Hillsboro, North Dakota. The first SADD/Liberty Mutual’s Teens Today survey is released, highlighting poor communication between teens and parents as the reason for a wide "Reality Gap” in how parents and teens view critical issues in teens’ lives, the influence parents have, and how they communicate about alcohol and drug use, drinking and driving, sex, violence and driving habits. SADD chapters nationwide celebrate the passage of the new .08 law. SADD’s annual national conference in Washington, DC, focuses on "Saving Lives . . . It’s Everybody’s Business."
2001	SADD’s Student of the Year is Justin Weseloh of Independence, Ohio. SADD celebrates its 20th anniversary at the national conference in Washington, DC: "20 Years and Still #1!" Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta joins 500 SADD members on the steps of the Capitol, urging youth to "Think About It . . ." SADD launches the new "Think About It . . . The Power of SADD" campaigns. SADD and Liberty Mutual release the annual Teens Today study, this time shattering the "Myth of Inevitability” that high-risk behaviors are unavoidable rites of passage in teen life.
2002	SADD’s Student of the Year is Ashley Conners of Las Vegas, Nevada. SADD hosts its national conference in Anaheim, California. SADD launches its National Scholarship Program by conducting the first “Penny Drive” at conference. SADD chapters from Crosby High School (Houston, TX), Rogers High School (Seattle, WA), Jesuit and St. Mary’s Dominican schools (New Orleans, LA) and Savio Prep (Boston, MA) participate in Wake Up! rallies sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The campaign’s anti-drug message reached more than 17 million people through significant media coverage in each city. SADD and Liberty Mutual release the annual Teens Today survey, this time offering parents new insights into when and why teens choose drinking, drugs, and sex.
2003	Freedom Rings … SADD Answers! SADD’s national conference moves to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to celebrate "The Power of Independence!" and turns training into direct action in a service-learning project, coordinated by the Mayor of Philadelphia’s office, cleaning streets and vacant lots in two neighborhoods. SADD’s Student of the Year is Molly Linn of Atlanta, Indiana SADD awards its first two scholarships in conjunction with the SADD National Scholarship Program. SADD launches its new SADD and the Law campaign, funded by a grant from NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and designed to promote awareness of law enforcement initiatives. The first campaign in the series, SADD Mobilizes, uses SADD chapters to focus media attention on underage drinking. SADD joins forces with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety’s Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB) and Office of Justice Programs to fund a Massachusetts coordinator and a statewide youth prevention program. With this local connection, SADD National has the opportunity to study the most effective youth prevention approaches close at hand and share this knowledge across the country. SADD and Liberty Mutual release the third annual Teens Today survey, this time the study links teens "Sense of Self" to alcohol, drug use, and sex. Results show that teens with a strong Sense of Self are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.
2004	Jacqueline Hackett, Executive Committee member of the 2003-2004 SADD National SLC, testifies before the Congressional Subcommittee on Education Reform at the hearing “Preventing Underage Drinking: What Works?” SADD launches the second campaign in its SADD and the Law series: 21 or Bust designed to prevent the sale of alcohol to those under age 21. SADD releases a "Prom Alert" citing the 2003 Teens Today research linking teen sex to stress and depression. SADD names Jacqueline Hackett of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, to serve as Student of the Year. For the first time ever, the SADD Student Leadership Council (2003-2004) plans and executes large components of the SADD National Conference. “The Game of Life … It’s About Choices!” The SADD National Conference celebrates youth leadership in St. Louis, Missouri. The fifth Teens Today study finds that teenagers who challenge themselves by taking positive risks, such as joining an athletic team or volunteering to perform community service, are more likely than those who don’t to avoid alcohol and other drug use. Teens’ “Risk Profiles” (Risk Seekers and Risk Avoiders) are also linked to their academic performance and overall emotional well-being.
2005	SADD names Jessica Ann Billings of Bloomington, Minnesota, to serve as Student of the Year for 2005-2006. Louisiana SADD spearheads the SADD Hurricane Katrina relief effort and receives countless donations from SADD chapters and SADD state programs. Generously donated pencils, backpacks, school supplies, socks, clothing and basic necessities are distributed to communities affected by Katrina. SADD Board of Directors endorses STOP (Sober Truth on the Prevention) of Underage Drinking. SADD National releases its EMPOWERED bracelet campaign developed by the National Student Leadership Council. SADD partners with American Cellular Donation Organization (ACDO). SADD chapters across the country raise more than $17,000 by sponsoring cell phone donation programs at their schools. “The Magic of SADD … Explore the Possibilities” – the SADD National Conference returns to Washington, D.C. The sixth Teens Today study reveals that high school teens whose parents pay the least attention to significant transition periods, such as puberty, school change, and key birthdays, are more likely than teens whose parents pay the most attention to engage in high-risk behaviors. Conversely, teens who receive the most attention are significantly more likely to say they feel happy every day or almost every day. The first-ever SADD SPEAKs (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge) is introduced at the SADD National Conference to develop recommendations for Congress about addressing underage drinking.
2006	“The Revolution Continues … 25 Years of Empowering Youth” – the SADD National Conference travels to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to celebrate SADD’s 25th anniversary. SADD chapters participate in Town Hall Meeting forums on underage drinking sponsored by ICCPUD (Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking). Arizona SADD collaborates with Sprint/Nextel, NASCAR and NBS to promote seat belt safety during the NASCAR Checker Auto Parts 500 race at the Phoenix International Raceway. SADD chapters from Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, and Washington participate in the National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week; SADD co-sponsors the project with the American Bar Association. SADD supports U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s intention to issue a Call to Action on underage drinking. SADD chapters get involved with “Above the Influence,” a campaign by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, promoting the power of young people to reject negative peer pressure. SADD names Daniel Vocelle of Vero Beach, Florida, to serve as SADD National Student of the Year for 2006-2007. Pennsylvania SADD youth testified at underage drinking committee hearings and meet with their elected officials to share their views on the solutions and realities of underage drinking in their schools and communities. Camping Magazine and the American Camp Association announce a new online series of columns for parents, Healthy Teens, featuring new and previously released op-eds and articles by Stephen Wallace, national chairman and chief executive officer of SADD. From January 2005 through July 2006, the SADD store sells 250,000 EMPOWERED bracelets. Results from the seventh Teens Today study show that parents who set clear consequences for behavior and follow through on them significantly reduce the likelihood that their teens will engage in high-risk behaviors.
2007	SADD names Sasha Willingham of Russellville, Alabama, to serve as SADD National Student of the Year for 2007-2008. Jessica Billings and Daniel Vocelle, past SADD Students of the Year, represent the United States at the first-ever World Youth Assembly for Road Safety sponsored by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. SADD sponsors the Global Road Safety Petition, an international effort to raise awareness about the serious risks posed to children by unsafe roads and risky driving behaviors. SADD partners with the Ad Council to reduce risky and aggressive driving through the “UR the Spokesperson” campaign. A record number of youth attend the SADD National Conference “Rollin’ on the River: Defining the Current” in New Orleans, Louisiana. SADD National makes available the new 225-page comprehensive SADD chapter manual, which provides innovative programming ideas, prevention information and resources, useful tips for working with media and legislators, and facts and statistics about important youth topics. Results from the eighth Teens Today study show the potential risks of teen’s driving older cars. SADD partners with Boston Market and its “Time for Your School” program to offer SADD students a way to earn substantial amounts of money for their chapters to help fund safe celebrations throughout the year. SADD, along with other drug education and prevention experts, attends a special White House event during which President George W. Bush highlighted a decline in youth drug use from 2001 to 2007.
2008	SADD names Stephen Winkler of Seneca, Kansas, to serve as SADD National Student of the year for 2008-2009. Hundreds of students and advisors from across the country attend the SADD National Conference “Passion, Power, Identity … Soaring to New Heights” in Phoenix, Arizona. SADD partners with the Ad Council to promote their “Small Steps” (childhood obesity) and “Boost” (high school dropout) prevention campaigns, and serve as spokesperson for the “Speak Up or Else” (youth reckless driving) campaign. Nearly 80 SADD chapters join more than 350 youth groups to simultaneously hold youth-led Community Briefings to call attention to alcohol as the single most important health issue facing young people today. A new model corporate partnership program with DCH Auto Group is established to enhance teen safety and support teens and their families in the communities served by DCH dealerships. SADD partners with the White House’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to raise awareness about the link between stress and drug use among teens and about prescription drug use. SADD and Liberty Mutual Insurance launch a new, interactive online teen driving resource to help parents cultivate, and new teen drivers develop, safe and responsible driving habits. A new youth-focused, research-based campaign engaging youth and influential adults in preventing underage drinking is created and pilot tested in Marlborough and Chatham, Massachusetts. Three SADD chapters – Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona, Chelsea High SADD from Chelsea, Vermont, and Dermott High EAST Lab TOPS/SADD from Dermott, Arkansas – were selected as finalists in the NOYS “Act Out Loud: Raising Voices for Safe Teen Driving” national contest. SADD joins the world of social networking sites and by year-end was communicating with more than 2,000 students and adult influencers who became “fans” of SADD on Facebook or “friends” of the organization on MySpace.
2009	Richard Birt of New Carlisle, Ohio, is selected as the SADD National Student of the Year for 2009-2010 academic year. The launch of SADD’s federal advocacy initiative focused on the nation’s capitol to leverage the power of our network is a vital step to further place SADD’s good works in the national spotlight. Nearly 600 students and advisors gather for the SADD National Conference in the nation’s capital, with the student-inspired theme “Climbing the Hill.” Twenty-one student leaders from the pre-conference SADD SPEAKs advocacy program lead their peers in an exciting rally on Capitol Hill and honor Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Representative Michael Capuano (D-MA) with Excellence in Government awards. The conference culminates in visits with congressional leaders to promote SADD’s legislative priorities which include issues concerning teen traffic safety; underage drinking and other drug use; and teen violence, suicide, and mental health. Social networking sites continue to grow and provide SADD with a direct communication to chapters, providing them with timely information, tools, and resources. More than 5,000 students and adult influencers are now “fans” of SADD on Facebook or “friends” of the organization on MySpace. Our Student Leadership Council members help manage these sites and, for the first time ever, provide daily “tweets” with conference highlights. SADD continues its partnership with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and represents the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in efforts to raise awareness about the risks associated with high school spring breaks. Collaborating with other national organizations such as Action for Healthy Kids, the Ad Council, America’s Promise, the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia extends SADD’s ability to effectively reach others with key prevention education messaging. Anoka (Minnesota) SADD and Coral Springs (Florida) SADD take first and third place, respectively, in the national Act Out Loud competition sponsored by the National Organizations for Youth Safety in connection with National Youth Traffic Safety Month in May. Two other SADD chapters place in the top ten schools from across the country. The SADDvocate, SADD’s monthly e-newsletter for students and advisors, reaches more than 11,000 subscribers.
2010	Jessica Roscoe of New Rockford, North Dakota, is selected as the SADD National Student of the Year for the 2010-2011 academic year. Record-breaking attendance at the SADD National Conference in Orlando, Florida. SADD participates in Oprah Winfrey’s inaugural “No Phone Zone Day” events across the country, inspiring countless teens and adults to end texting while driving. DCH Auto Group’s model business partnership with SADD wins a national highway safety award from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. Their “InTEXTicated” campaign makes an appearance on the Jumbotron in Times Square. SADD successfully lobbies for the introduction of the STARS (Students Taking Action for Road Safety) Act. This legislation is of particular importance for it would provide $25 million for states specifically to support youth peer-to-peer education and prevention. In October, SADD receives an international drug abuse prevention award from the Queen of Sweden. The Mentor International Foundation presents SADD with the 2010 Youth Initiative Award for “Mobilizing the Community: Youth Taking the Lead,” a youth-focused, research-based campaign that engages youth and influential adults (parents, school administrators, law enforcement officials, and media) in preventing underage drinking. Also on the national stage, SADD participates in summits on distracted driving and bullying with the nation’s top experts and officials. SADD’s longstanding partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance (our national insurance partner) offers credible, cutting-edge teen driving research, and more than 11 million total media impressions are generated during a national radio media tour. Liberty Mutual also presents the SADD Family Focus Speaker Series featuring Stephen Wallace, SADD Chairman and CEO and nationally-recognized youth advocate, to benefit parents, teens, and community members in 20 school communities across the northeastern and central United States. With funding from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, SADD launches ParentTeenMatters.org, along with a monthly e-newsletter, “ParentTeen Matters,” to share resources, information, and advice on parenting teens today.