Sold Out president and former pro football player Roman Gabriel III (the son of former Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel) will visit students in Bladen County middle schools on Tuesday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 16.
The visit is being supported by the Elizabethtown ABC Store.
The schedule on Dec. 15 will be:
— 8:30 a.m. at Elizabethtown Middle School
— 10:30 a.m. at Clarkton School of Discovery
— 1:30 p.m. at Bladenboro Middle
The schedule on Dec. 16 will be:
— 8:30 a.m. at Tar Heel Middle School.
Since 2012 the North Carolina Sold Out Alcohol Abstinence and Character Program has influenced more than 200,000 students, hundreds of teachers, coaches, and countless parents.
The mission statement for the organizations is “to decrease underaged drug and alcohol usage in our schools and communities through educating students through assemblies and ongoing 365 online abstinence and character curriculum.
The CDC numbers report 28 percent of middle school students (eighth-graders) and 68 percent of 12th-graders had tried alcohol, and 10 percent of eighth-graders and 39 percent of 12th-graders drank during the past month. On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers. Students who start drinking before age 15, are five times more likely to have an alcoholic dependency.
To date the program has seen up to 70 percent of North Carolina middle school students take a public alcohol abstinence pledge to be accountable to their teachers, coaches, parents, and fellow students. More than 4,500 students have joined the Sold Out follow-up program through different online platforms available at the official Sold Out Program website at www.soldouttv.com.