Small Talks is a statewide campaign that encourages adults to have frequent conversations about the dangers of underage drinking with the kids in their lives starting at age 8.

Alcohol Awareness Month

Governor Tony Evers has proclaimed April as Alcohol Awareness Month in Wisconsin. This annual observance is a time for education on alcohol issues and steps people can take to protect and promote individual and community health and safety. Go to the Alcohol page on the DHS website for more information.

Five years of preventing underage drinking 

Launched in April 2020, the Small Talks campaign set out to provide adults with resources to address alcohol use with kids. 

Small Talks seeks to:

• Increase awareness among adults of the prevalence and risks of underage drinking
• Equip adults with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent underage drinking
• Increase adult actions to prevent underage drinking.

Small Talks offers:

• Webpages focused on underage drinking facts; tips to start talking; tips from parents and caregivers having small talks; tips for educators, community members, and other role models; and actions beyond small talks to prevent underage drinking.
• A toolkit featuring more than two dozen free products and tools anyone can use anytime to promote the campaign, including billboards, fact sheets, social media shareables, and videos. 

Use the fifth anniversary of the Small Talks campaign in April 2025 to advance underage drinking prevention in your community. Promote the Small Talks campaign through a new series of social media posts. 

Prioritize small talks this summer

Summer in Wisconsin is known for barbecues, festivals, parties, picnics, and pool days. Along with all the fun with family and friends often comes the seemingly unlimited supply of alcoholic beverages which can be tempting for kids. It's why summer is a time when many kids first try alcohol.  

Work is underway to place a mix of advertising statewide from Memorial Day through Labor Day encouraging adults to use the moments of summer as opportunities to have small talks with the kids in their lives. 

Remember, kids respect what adults have to say when it comes to serious matters such as underage drinking--more so than many adults may realize. 

Support this advertising campaign by using the products in the Small Talks toolkit in your community this summer. 

Events and trainings

The events and trainings listed below are open to everyone interested in learning strategies to build healthy and safe communities. 

• April 15-17, 2025: Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference (Wisconsin Dells)
• April 25-26, 2025: NAMI Wisconsin Annual Conference (Middleton)
• May 1-2, 2025: Youth Canvas: Painting the Picture of Mental Wellness (Brookfield)
• May 6-8, 2025: Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit (Wisconsin Dells/Virtual)
• July 16-17, 2025: Harm Reduction Conference (Wisconsin Dells/Virtual)
• September 10-11, 2025: Substance Use Prevention Conference (Wisconsin Dells/Virtual)
• September 18-19, 2025: Crisis Intervention Conference (Wisconsin Dells)
• October 16-17, 2024: Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Conference (Wisconsin Dells)

Sign up for our Small Talks email list to receive future editions of this newsletter. 

The next Small Talks Newsletter will be issued this fall. Email your feedback on this newsletter to DHSDCTSSmallTalks@dhs.wisconsin.gov. 

Do not reply directly to this email message. If you have questions about the Small Talks underage drinking prevention campaign, email the Division of Care and Treatment Services.