Virginia ABC's PSA Challenge

Virginia ABC is no longer accepting PSA Challenge entries. Videos submitted by deadline (February 26) will be reviewed during March, and winners will be announced in April. Stay tuned!

Introduction

Lights! Camera! Action! Virginia ABC is proud to announce its second annual PSA Challenge — a statewide, school-led video competition!

Students know what it takes to relate to their friends, so we encourage them to take a seat in the director's chair and send a positive message to their peers by writing, directing and producing a 29–60 second video public service announcement (PSA) about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking.

Teams of students perform all aspects of the production process, from planning, filming and acting to editing. There is no cost to enter, so get ready to rock and – roll the film! Complete information, including contest rules, judging criteria and other tips are provided in the following PSA Challenge Handbook, which may be downloaded in individual sections or in full:

Did you know?…"Drinking by college students aged 18-24 contributes to an estimated 1,400 student deaths, 500,000 injuries and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year," according to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

…Approximately 95 percent of violent crimes committed on campus are alcohol related.

…Approximately 90 percent of college rapes involve alcohol use by victim and/or assailant.

…Approximately 25 percent of college students report adverse academic consequences from drinking, including missed classes, falling behind and low scores on exams and papers.

… Mile for mile, young drivers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Research shows contributing factors to these crashes include speeding, drinking alcohol, using other drugs, not wearing seat belts, distracted driving from cell phone use, loud music or other passengers, drowsy driving and nighttime driving.