|
WASHINGTON, DC-- With the
focus of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week on
avoiding falling victim to scams, the National Consumers League
reminds consumers—especially young ones entering the
marketplace—that it pays to be “LifeSmart.” The Washington-based
nonprofit organization, which is the nation’s oldest consumer
advocacy organization, runs LifeSmarts, a national program for
high school youth that tests students in grades 9-12 with
questions about real-life marketplace issues ranging from
personal finance, health and safety, the environment,
technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. So far
this 2005-2006 season, the program has recorded the highest
numbers ever in its 12-year history.
“What better time than during
National Consumer Protection Week for consumers to turn their
attention to learning ways to protect themselves from frauds and
scams,” said Lisa Hertzberg, program director of LifeSmarts. “We
encourage all consumers to ‘Take the Grand Slam Challenge’ at
the official NCPW Web site—and to log on to
www.lifesmarts.org to get involved in LifeSmarts today.”
The LifeSmarts competition
begins online at the state level, where young consumers form
teams and compete for places at state championships across the
country. State champions will go on to attend the National
LifeSmarts competition in Philadelphia, April 22-25, 2006.
During NCPW (Feb. 5-11)
consumer advocates join with federal, state, and local
government agencies to launch a week, and a Web site (www.consumer.gov/ncpw)
devoted to public awareness of today’s consumers’ issues. This
year’s effort highlights current consumer protection and
education efforts in the fight against fraud. According to a
survey by the Federal Trade Commission, nearly 25 million
Americans – 11.2 percent of the adult population – experience
consumer fraud each year. LifeSmarts offers teens an
opportunity to learn the skills needed to avoid being fraud
victims in a fun, exciting, and competitive format at the
threshold of their adulthood.
To learn more about the
LifeSmarts program, contact Hertzberg at the National Consumers
League at 202-835-3323 or
lisah@nclnet.org or visit
www.lifesmarts.org.
|
