View
214
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
Environmental Prevention and Underage Drinking
Kathryn StewartSafety and Policy Analysis International and Prevention Research CenterLafayette, California
MADD National Conference, September 2012
Effects of Age 21 Laws
Reduction in alcohol consumption
Reduction in drinking driver fatal crashes
Reduction in alcohol-related homicides, suicides, unintentional injuries
Evidence of MLDA 21 Law Effectiveness
Drinking Drivers Over Age 21 involved in fatal crashes: the decrease since1982
-33%
Drinking Drivers Under Age 21 involved in fatal crashes: the decrease since1982
-62%
MLDA 21 accounted for much of the difference (Hedlund, et al., 2001)
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Licensed drivers
FARS - alcohol positive
FARS - sober drivers
Reduction in Impaired Driving since Drinking Age Raised in U.S.Drivers 20 and Younger
ALCOHOL: #1 Problem and Choice of Drug in the United States
“Each day, more than 7,000 kids in the United States under age 16 take their first drink”
(IOM Report, 2004)
Recent Attention: Surgeon General’s Call to Action
Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility
2003 Report to Congress
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action
To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking 2007
Alcohol is . . .
•easy for youth to access
•prominent in entertainment media
•advertised in venues that reach youth disproportionately
•cheaper than 30-40 years ago
______________
Kids get access from adults in social and retail settings
Focus efforts on adults
and engage entire society
Underage Drinking is Not an Underage Problem
Youth usually obtain alcohol – either directly or indirectly – from adults. Efforts to reduce underage drinking, therefore, need to focus on adults and must engage the society at large.”
Institute of Medicine, National Research Council of the National Academies (2003)
Environmental Prevention
Creating an environment in which it is harder to make the wrong choice and easier to make the right choice.
Environmental prevention removes focus from individual behavior and works to change the larger environment.
Prevention Strategies Individual
Focus on behavior change
Focus on the individual and alcohol problems
Focus on short term: program development
Environmental Focus on population
level change Focus on social,
political, legal context of alcohol problems
Focus on long term: policy development
Assumption:
Changing environmental contributors to alcohol problems will change individual behavior.
Environmental Strategies
Advantages: Effective and Efficient Immediate Results Inherently Sustainable
Environmental Change Strategies
Changes community standards Policy-oriented Involves adult and youth participation Involves partnership with
enforcement Addresses physical, social, political,
legal, and economic factors
Environmental Approaches to Limitations On Underage Access
Limitations on Access
•Enforce minimum age purchase laws: -aimed at retailers -aimed at adults
-aimed at youth•Strengthen minimum age purchase laws•Reduce social availability•Reduce overall community availability of alcohol
Each Year College Drinking Causes:
1,825 students deaths
599,000 unintentional injuries
696,000 assaults
-97,000 sexual assaults
3,360,000 students drive under the influence(Hingson et al, 2009)
2nd hand effects by drinking peers (Wechsler et al, 2002)
31% met criteria for alcohol abuse (Knight et al, 2002)
$68 billion social cost for underage drinking (PIRE 2009)
Problems in College Environment
Too much free time (e.g., no classes on Fridays!)
Belief that underage and binge drinking is a normal part of college life
Alcohol is available and inexpensive Alcohol is highly promoted to students Laws and policies are inconsistently
enforced
Safer California UniversitiesProjectIntegrated Intervention Strategies
Nuisance party enforcement operations for disruptive parties
Minor decoy operations to prevent sales of alcohol to minors
Driving-under-the-influence checkpoints Social host ordinances that held hosts
responsible for nuisance parties Campus and local media coverage to
maximize visibility
Outcomes
Likelihood of getting drunk at bars or restaurants much less.
Likelihood of getting drunk at off campus parties much less.
Overall likelihood of getting drunk at any location much less.
The Problem
Mexico’s drinking age is 18 Some border towns provided plentiful,
cheap sources of alcohol Young people traveled to Mexico to
drink Beverage service not always
“responsible”
The Problem Mexico’s drinking age is 18 Some border towns provided plentiful,
cheap sources of alcohol Young people traveled to Mexico to drink Beverage service not always “responsible” Heavy drinking occurred Sometimes resulted in problems, including
impaired driving on the way home
The Implementation Strategy
The nature and scope of the problem were explained to groups and agencies on both sides of the border
Media advocacy brought the problem to the attention of the public through compelling news coverage
The Change Strategies
Earlier bar closings Stepped up DUI enforcement efforts
on the US side of the border Highly publicized enforcement of laws
against crossing by youth under 18 New restrictions on Marines from
Camp Pendleton
The Results
Dramatic decline in number of nighttime crossings by young people
Reduction in nighttime crashes involving drivers under 18
90% reduction in number of Marines driving back from the border
Reducing Youth Access to Alcohol in Oregon: Integrated Environmental Approaches Reward and Reminder Program Minor Decoy Operations Shoulder Tap Operations Party Patrols Traffic Surveillance Media Advocacy
Community Outcomes Reduced sales of alcohol to minors
Reduced drinking and binge drinking among high school students in communities with the most vigorous enforcement efforts
Changed community attitudes and culture
Conclusions
Communities can create environments that reduce alcohol related problems through:
Understanding the nature of the problems Development of appropriate policies Strategic use of law enforcement resources Strategic use of community awareness
Resources
Survey and Assessment Tools
http://www.udetc.org/surveyandcommunity.asp
Training on Environmental Strategies
http://www.udetc.org/Training.htm#Environmental
Publications http://
www.udetc.org/Publications.htm
Recommended