U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) was recognized this week by The Century Council  for his commitment to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking.

The Century Council, which presented Luetkemeyer with the award in Washington, D.C., is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking. The Century Council develops and implements a variety of programs and public awareness campaigns that promote responsible decision making regarding alcohol consumption.

“Keeping drunk drivers off the roads and doing everything we can to keep alcohol out of the hands of young people saves lives, and I am proud to take part in any effort that educates our youth and provides parents, teachers, and local communities with resources to stop uneccessary deaths or injuries due to irresponsible behavior and poor decisions,” Luetkemeyer said. “Too often, families have to deal with the tragic consequences of drunk driving and underage drinking and anything we can do to prevent that is worth doing.”

Late last year, Luetkemeyer and two-time gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman released a public service announcement for The Century Council’s “IKnowEverything” program that reinforces the importance of safe driving among teens and the role parents play in establishing and reinforcing healthy, mature behavior.