Cutting Off the Supply: Holding Social Hosts Accountable for

Underage Drinking

1:00 p.m.. – 2:30 p.m.June 13, 1014

Michael Sparks, M.A.President – SparksInitiatives

Boyd Baxter & Vickie AdamsThe Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition

The Policy Action Campaign

Overview A bit about Social Host The policy action campaign QuestionsCase Study

Problem Setting: Home Parties

Son held drunken party for 600 friends after banishing parents to bedroom of their multi-million-dollar mansion

By Mail Foreign ServiceUPDATED: 20:55 EST, 14 October 2010

A Setting for High-Risk Drinking

Source of Alcohol among Ever-Drinkers

88% 89% 86% 85%82% 80% 74%

2% 2%5% 6% 12% 14%

21%

10% 8% 9% 9% 7% 6% 5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Social

Commercial

Other

Unweighted data; last drinking occasion; (N=11,203); EUDL-T data

Age

Why do we care about the setting?

Drinking Context is Important! Parties are high risk settings for binge drinking and

consequences

Alcohol provided or at low cost per drink

Often unsupervised or with parental permission

Increased risk for DUI, riding with drunk driver, sexual assault, violence, and injuries

Problem Setting: Home Parties

Son held drunken party for 600 friends after banishing parents to bedroom of their multi-million-dollar mansion

By Mail Foreign ServiceUPDATED: 20:55 EST, 14 October 2010

A Setting for High-Risk Drinking

Source of Alcohol among Ever-Drinkers

88% 89% 86% 85%82% 80% 74%

2% 2%5% 6% 12% 14%

21%

10% 8% 9% 9% 7% 6% 5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Social

Commercial

Other

Unweighted data; last drinking occasion; (N=11,203); EUDL-T data

Age

Why do we care about the setting?

Drinking Context is Important! Parties are high risk settings for binge drinking and

consequences

Alcohol provided or at low cost per drink

Often unsupervised or with parental permission

Increased risk for DUI, riding with drunk driver, sexual assault, violence, and injuries

Using Social Host to Address Home Parties

Have you been involved working on adopting a Social Host policy?

A.Yes

B.No

Discussion

Poll #1

Social Host

Laws at the State and local level that hold property owners, parents and adults accountable for underage drinking occurring at their home.

Many focus on the “hosting” of a party as opposed to provision of the alcohol at the party.

Consequences are often civil or criminal in nature.

Social Host Intent

Change community CULTURE and CONDITIONS

Change the FOCUS from underage drinker to provider/enabler

Decrease PROVISION Decrease furnishing alcohol

to an underage person

Change CONTEXT and SETTING Deter underage drinking

parties

What is Social Host Liability?

Social host liability refers to laws that hold non-commercial individuals responsible for underage drinking events on property they own, lease or otherwise control.

Texas Social Host Laws and Ordinances

Provisions to Minors Law Giving alcohol to minors is a Class A Class A

misdemeanor Punishment

▪ Includes up to $4,000 in fines, 1 year in jail, or both

▪ 180 day suspension of drivers license

Texas Law – Related to Underage Drinking in Social Settings

TST Sample Policy

The Policy Action Campaign

Overview Types of policy Review policy criteria The policy action campaignQuestions

1. Develop a policy action statement2. Engage enforcement 3. Collect data to establish a legal basis 4. Make your case5. Draft policy language6. Use media advocacy7. Mobilize support and provide

community education8. Get the policy adopted9. Ensure enforcement of the policy10.Evaluate campaign effectiveness

10 Policy Advocacy Steps

Policy Action Steps

A Policy Action statement:• Clarifies the overall scope of the policy

advocacy effort• Enables all partners to agree on the

problem and proposed policy solution• Used to educate other Coalition and

community members

Step 1: Develop a Policy Action Statement

Policy Action Steps

Write a Policy Action Statement based on the local condition and policy solution previously identified (25 words or less): State the problem State a policy solution What will the policy do? Who will benefit from the policy? Who are the decision makers (who can make

it happen)?

Step 1: Develop a Policy Action Statement

The Redding City Council will pass a civil Social Host Ordinance holding accountable those who host a gathering where alcohol is served and consumed by minors, reducing the occurrence of teen home parties

Policy Action Steps

Step 1: Develop a Policy Action Statement

Discussion

What is the status of your discussions on developing your

policy?

Policy Action Steps

Include representatives from agencies who will enforce the policy in all steps: Collection of local data Identification of local conditions Selection of policy responses Crafting policy language

Step 2: Engage Enforcement Agencies in the Policy Development

Process

Discussion

How have your local enforcement agency(s) been Involved in you efforts?

What benefits have you seen?

Policy Action Steps

Compile appropriate data to: Substantiate and define the local

condition and its consequences in the community

Establish an evidence base for the proposed policy solution

Include data and citations in text of the proposed policy language

Step 3: Compile Relevant Data

Policy Action Steps

Step 3: Compile Relevant Data

The “Where” and “When”Where does underage drinking occur?

Parks? Homes? Safeway parking lot? Where do house parties happen? How do you know? How often are parties taking place?

Data Sources Key informant Listening sessions Neighborhood associations/groups Interviews with patrol officers/SRO Community/parent surveys School nurse

Policy Action Steps

How do we prove the local condition and related consequences exist which pose a

problem for the community?

Step 3: Compile Relevant Data

Policy Action Steps

Evidence Base for Selected Strategies

How can we provide evidence that the proposed policy will address the local condition?

Step 3: Compile Relevant Data

Policy Action Steps

Step 3: Compile Relevant Data

Step 3: Data from Social Media Mining

Policy Action Steps

Step 3: Data from Social Media Mining

Policy Action Steps

Policy Action Steps

Step 3: Data from Community Meetings

Policy Action Steps

Create an Issue Brief that:• Describes the problem and its impact on

the community• Identify costs to community if problem is

not resolved• Explain how the proposed policy

addresses community concerns• Identifies ways for community members

to get involved

Step 4: Make Your Case

Policy Action Steps

Step 4: Make Your Case

Make your case

Minor Drinking A Major Problem

Underage DrinkingThe Home Party Scene

Not only is alcohol the leading contributor to causes of death among youth, it is also the drug of choice for young people.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly used by youth –more than tobacco and farmore than marijuana or any other illicit drug

It is a legal substance and widely available

Nationwide, teens with alcohol dependency are the majority of adolescents admitted for treatment

Teens Stay In

Out of 3,000 teens surveyed, they said 83% of teens who drink, drink at home or friends’ homes

Parents host parties to keep kids safe fromthe dangers of drinkingand driving other things can happen…

Home PartyCase History In Redding

Her text messages showed she had

7 straight shots of vodka

She was so ill one of the “friends” led her downstairs to a bathroom and propped her up next to the toilet so she would not choke

if she got sick

She died that night…

Step 4: Make Your Case

Policy Action Steps

TST SHO Issue Brief

Do you have the data you need to make your case?

Discuss what you have and what you need

Poll #2

A.Yes

B.No

Policy Action Steps

Begin with TST Model Policy Tie to specifics to your local

conditions Insure your own findings Compile supporting documents (case

law, etc..) Work with the City Attorney/County

Counsel

Step 5: Policy Language

Policy Action Steps

Step 5: Policy Language

TST Sample Ordinance

Policy Action Steps

Media Advocacy and Social Marketing

• Social Marketing is the application of marketing and media techniques to promote a social and health related goals

• Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media to support community organizing and advance healthy public policies.

Step 6: Work with the Media

Policy Action Steps

Key Points in Media Advocacy: Frame your message Identify media targets Speak strategically Shape opinions Tell the story Ask for change Anticipate the opposition’s

arguments

Step 6: Work with the Media

Policy Action Steps

BE STRATEGIC in selecting the

right media outlet (s) for your message

& intended audience

Step 6: Work with the Media

Policy Action Steps

“Neighbors report being fed up with loud parties in their neighborhood” [Santa Rosa Press Democrat 3/8/2005]

“House parties around campus are out of control” [Denver Post 6/23/2011]

Using Media to Tell Your Story

Step 6: Work with the Media

• INTERESTING enough to attract immediate ATTENTION

• POWERFUL enough to be REMEMBERED and

• CONVINCING enough to STIR overloaded listeners into action.

Sound Bites in Media Advocacy

Step 6: Work with the Media

Policy Action Steps

“The teen’s death was a wake up call for parents!”

“We live in an age of drive-by parenting.”

‘”A non-smoking section of a restaurant is as useless as a non-urinating section of a swimming pool”

“Cigarettes kill more people in the USA every year than would be killed by the crash of two fully-loaded Boeing 747s each day of the entire year.”

Examples of Sound Bites in Media Advocacy

Step 6: Work with the Media

Policy Action Steps

Policy Action Steps

Step 6: Work with the Media

Discussion

What are media sources that could help further your media

campaign?

Do you have a media committee who could work on the media

advocacy?

Policy Action Steps

Community organizing involves a “top down” and “bottom up” approach that includes:

• Engaging policy makers and “influencers” using a Power Analysis

• Mobilizing “grasstops” support & providing community education

Step 7: Community Organizing

Policy Action Steps

 

Coalition membersidentify

and approach

Who are the individuals who can influence policy decision makers one-on one?

Who are the grassroots community members who will speak out on behalf of the policy?

Decision Makers

Step 7: Community Organizing

Policy Action Steps

A POWER ANALYSIS is an advocacy tool that explores how decisions are made in your community on a specific issue….an analysis of “grasstop” support.

What is a Power Analysis?

Step 7: Community Organizing

Policy Action Steps

Who are the most important

individuals?

Who must you talk with before you approach the him/her?

How do you influence them

if they are elected officials?

What is the self-interest of each?

Who will approach this

person?

Assess the Individuals Who Can Give You What You Want

Who has the power to adopt your policy?____________________

Policy Action Steps

Mobilize “Grassroots” Support

Build the knowledge and support of community members about the proposed policy solution through:

Media Advocacy (Step 6) Building relationships with individual

community members through one-on-one conversations

Encouraging and organizing community members to vocalize their support

Step 7: Community Organizing

Discussion

Who else on campus or in the surrounding community could

help further your policy campaign?

Who can reach out to them?

Examples: Neighborhood groupsFaith community leadership

Local service clubs, etc.

Coalition members prepare presentation to decision makers

Use the talking points and “frame” developed in the issue briefs and used in the media advocacy

Know which decision makers support or oppose your policy before making presentation

Step 8: Get the Policy Adopted

Policy Action Steps

Policy Action Steps

Analyze potential barriers to enforcement after policy is passed

Collaborate with law enforcement to develop potential solutions to barriers in order to ensure that the policy will be implemented and enforced after passage

Determine ways to bolster enforcement efforts with Colition and community support

Step 9: Ensure Enforcement

Policy Action Steps

Evaluate campaign effectiveness Passage of policy Implementation & enforcement of

policy Coalition cohesiveness & momentum

for future policy work Change in norms & community

discussion about alcohol-related problems

Foundation built for additional alcohol policies

Step 10: Evaluation

For those of you working on policy as part of your Coalition work,

what steps are you working on?

A. Steps 1-3B. Steps 4-6C. Step 7D.Steps 8-10E. Some of all the above

Discuss

Poll #3