Traffic Tech #267: Preventing Underage Drinking Best Practices From A State Alcohol Control Agency

As regulatory bodies, Alcohol Beverage Control agencies (ABCs) have the potential to be particularly effective in reducing underage access to alcohol and high risk drinking by college students. The right laws and regulations can minimize opportunities for young people to use alcohol and maximize the opportunities for effective enforcement and prevention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a project by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to develop a manual to help Alcohol Beverage Control (ABCs) agencies identify opportunities and initiatives to reduce underage drinking.

ABCs, whether in control or licensed States, engage in a variety of programs to educate consumers and retailers, oversee server training, are active in statewide and local responsible beverage servers coalitions, fund grants to local law enforcement agencies to encourage participation, develop and conduct school awareness programs, and distribute information and materials. Control States control the sale of distilled spirits and in some cases, wine, through government agencies at the wholesale level. There are 18 Control States (Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming) and one county (Montgomery County, Maryland). The remaining 32 States are License States, where the wholesale and retail sales of distilled spirits and wine are wholly in the hands of private sellers.

PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING TOPICS FOR ALCOHOL CONTROL AGENCIES

Topics

The manual briefly describes projects and activities conducted by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, as shown in the tables. Each section follows a standard format of identifying the target population, specifying goals to accomplish, describes the project and activities, lists specific action steps to reach the goals, and provides a list of resources.

The comprehensive appendices, which are only available on CD-ROM, contain detailed materials for each topic. For example, in the Section about working with campus communities and college students, one page describes how to conduct statewide CORE surveys. The CORE survey was developed by Southern Illinois University to collect information on student drinking behaviors and perceptions. An ABC may want to assist in conducting a survey such as this to provide evaluation data and feedback for individual colleges and statewide efforts. The appendix contains a sample of the complete survey instrument.

Other sections of the appendices contain a lesson plan "Say No to Alcohol" targeted at students in kindergarten through third grade, Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) targeted at large public venues, Responsible Alcohol Management Program(RAMP) targeted at alcohol purveyors. There are sample mini-grant forms, public service announcements for television and radio, and coalition building activities. There is also a documentary play, "gravity hill (or whatever)..." sponsored by the Bloomsburg Initiative that targets underage drinking.

HOW TO ORDER

For a copy of State Alcohol Control Agencies Approach toUnderage Drinking Prevention; Overview (about 50 pages) and Appendix of Best Practices (only on CD-ROM) prepared by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, write to Media and Marketing, NHTSA, NTS-21, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590 or send a fax to (301) 386-2194 or download from http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov//

U.S. Department
of Transportation
National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-31
Washington, DC 20590

Traffic Tech is a publication to disseminate information about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, innovative programs, and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish.

If you would like to receive a copy contact:

Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor, Evaluation Staff
Traffic Safety Programs
fax (202) 366-7096
E-MAIL: lcosgrove@nhtsa.dot.gov

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