CHICAGO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This holiday season, the Elks National Drug Awareness Program, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Acting U.S. Surgeon General are teaming up with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four to fight underage drinking. Hard Choices, a comic book developed by Marvel Entertainment for the Elks National Drug Awareness Program in collaboration with SAMHSA, features the superheroes saving young people from the consequences of alcohol abuse. In October 2007, almost 800,000 copies were sent to elementary and middle schools across the nation. "We feel the holiday season is a particularly important time to stress the consequences of underage drinking, with school vacations and busy parental schedules," said Kent Gade, director of the Elks National Drug Awareness Program. "After 25 years of substance-abuse education, the Elks understand how critical it is for young people to lead an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle. We are fortunate for the opportunity to work with Marvel Entertainment and their popular characters to promote this important message. The Marvel superheroes in Hard Choices empower parents and teachers to discuss a difficult topic in a fun, familiar format that children can identify with." "Each year more than 5,000 deaths of people under age 21 are linked to underage drinking, and many more youth are injured," said Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. "This public and private sector collaboration is the kind of innovative approach we were seeking when we issued the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking in March 2007." "The Elks National Drug Awareness Program, Acting Surgeon General Galson and Marvel Comics are getting the message out to young people about how to steer clear of drinking and drugs," said SAMHSA Administrator Dr. Terry Cline. "By working together, we can help our youth make the right choices to lead healthy, happy lives." For more than 30 years, Marvel has worked with national public health experts to publicize the dangers of substance abuse. "In recent years, we have been proud to work with the Elks National Drug Awareness Program and SAMHSA to continue this tradition, and we are particularly honored this year to have the support of the Acting Surgeon General," said Marvel spokesperson Robert Sabouni. Spider-Man was the first major modern comic book hero to deal with the issue of substance abuse. In 1971, at the request of the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Marvel developed a series of Spider-Man stories dealing with drug addiction. Despite some initial resistance from others in the industry, Marvel published the series and ushered in a new generation of socially conscious, public health storylines. In fact Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, was first introduced to his favorite heroes when his father gave him an anti-drug abuse comic in the early 1970s. "My father, wise man that he was, thought that the comic was a wonderful way to teach his child about the evils of drug abuse. And, it did," said Quesada. "But, what he didn't account for was that it would also spark my lifetime passion for comic books!" A digital version of Hard Choices can be viewed at http://www.elks.org/marvel.cfm, along with other educational materials. Young people and parents can also go to SAMHSA's "Too Smart To Start" website at http://www.toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov/ for useful and fun activities including advice from teen columnists, crossword puzzles and memory games about the effects of alcohol, as well as links to other useful sites. Elks National Drug Awareness Program funding is provided by the Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA. The Elks are committed to providing a healthy future for America's youth. In addition to educating young people about the dangers of drugs, the Elks provide positive alternatives such as the Hoop Shoot(R) and Soccer Shoot athletic programs and Youth Veteran Volunteers. The Foundation also annually awards more than $3 million in college scholarships. For more information, contact your local Elks Lodge or visit the Elks website at http://www.elks.org/. SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system. To learn more about SAMHSA's initiatives, join the SAMHSA eNetwork by visiting http://samhsa.gov/enetwork/. With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL) is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel's strategy is to leverage its character franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world. More information about Marvel can be found at http://www.marvel.com/. Marvel, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four: TM & (C) 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. Super Hero(s) is a co-owned registered trademark. DATASOURCE: Elks National Foundation CONTACT: Kent Gade, Director of Elks National Drug Awareness Program, +1-712-778-2159, , Web Site: http://samhsa.gov/ http://www.elks.org/ http://www.marvel.com/

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