Community Partnerships

HOW CAN YOU TAKE ACTION?

Everyone CAN...

Parents CAN...

Know your child's friends' parents and set up a Parent Network
Talk with other parents/adults to make sure that alcohol is not available at the events youth will attend and monitor your child's activities
Talk with and listen to your child regularly
Provide a consistent family policy re: no teen drinking and set consequences you will carry out
Check your children's ID's, make sure they don't have fake ID's
Set a good example for responsible adult alcohol use, if you choose to drink

Businesses CAN...

Hire, train and supervise responsible staff to keep business in compliance with alcohol sales laws
Learn and use business best practices for responsible alcohol sales & service by attending a RASS Workshop Evindi 2010.pdf / Stumpe and Associates 2010.pdf / Traning Institute 2010.pdf
Develop comprehensive written policies; include requirement to ID everyone or at a minimum ID anyone under age 40
Use comprehensive and effective employee training programs
Ensure all sellers/servers know how to properly verify a customers age and refuse sale/service to minors and intoxicated patrons
Supervise and monitor employee compliance with company policies and state and local laws

Law Enforcement CAN...

Conduct regular compliance checks in each licensed alcohol establishment, annually and re-check violators within the year
Conduct regular walk-through of licensed establishments
Develop a system to monitor alcohol-related problems associated with community events and specific establishments
Conduct party dispersal operations as a means to control underage drinking parties, citing adult providers in addition to youth in possession of alcohol
Consistently enforce laws against adult providers and social hosts
Ask underage youth who are caught drinking to disclose the source of their alcohol

Government CAN...

Develop laws, ordinances, policies, etc. to address commercial availability, social/public availability, and youth possession
Use licensing and regulatory "best practices" to control alcohol landscape and protect public health and safety
Use land use planning to control retail outlet density
Assess existing laws and regulations to identify and close gaps and loopholes
Identify strengths upon which effective enforcement strategies can be built
Motivate enforcement and regulatory agencies to strengthen enforcement of exiting laws and regulations

Youth CAN...

Apply to become a Youth Council delegate - see details, application
Be an advocate for community change; challenge adult assumptions
Ask to see school's written policy, read it, talk about it with others, suggest improvements
Partner with law enforcement in compliance check operations
Partner with peers and adults to create alcohol-free events
Partner with media; write series of articles on alcohol issues/topics that affect youth

Media CAN...

Use unique position to advance social and public policy goals to reduce underage drinking
Become informed about the issues, solutions and "best practices"
Cover stories about what is being done to prevent problems, not just report consequences of underage drinking incidences
Develop PSA's on dangers of underage drinking to offset one-sided advertising messages that glamorize drinking
Limit alcohol ad product placements to TV, radio and magazines with majority adult only audiences
Be an advocate for community change and challenge community assumptions

Healthcare Providers CAN…

Be alert to signs of youth alcohol use, during routine and emergency medical examinations
Make screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) a standard operating practice/procedure
Promote and distribute educational literature in public spaces
Use knowledge and expertise about the dangers of alcohol to support community education and prevention programs
Talk to parents and youth in your practice about the need to prevent underage and youth binge drinking
Support the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking

Faith and Civic Leaders CAN…

Work to change community attitudes about underage and youth binge drinking
Help get the word out about underage drinking laws
Help get the word out about social host laws and legal consequences for adults
Support parents and caregivers in their roles as mentors and monitors
Create friendly alcohol-free places and programs where youth can gather, volunteer and succeed without alcohol
Make it easier for young people who are involved in high risk drinking or at risk for alcohol dependence to get help

Educators CAN…

Establish, enforce and evaluate effective school alcohol policies
Only sponsor interventions that research has confirmed to be effective
Provide students with developmentally appropriate knowledge, skills, and motivation to resist peer and other pressures to drink
Identify students using alcohol and make appropriate intervention and/or treatment referrals
Train school personnel to recognize alcohol-related problems, intervene appropriately, and utilize uniform referral protocols
Provide information to students and families on the consequences of alcohol use, school alcohol policies and practices, and local sources for more information