Community Level Policy Strategies to Reduce Underage Drinking

WELCOME AND OBJECTIVES!

•Define Community-level prevention: addressing community risk factors using strategies that attempt to alter environments •Define “Policy”•State-wide prevention: NY Alcohol Policy Alliance•Local community-level prevention•Effective community prevention = Coalitions

Epidemiologic Triad

PREVENTION STRATEGIESATTEMPT TO ALTER ENVIRONMENTS

PREVENTION STRATEGIESATTEMPT TO ALTER ENVIRONMENTS

PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Individual-Level

Population-Level

Alcohol problems are personal and internal.

Solutions focus solely on changing individuals while accepting the environment as a given.

Alcohol problems are the product of systems.

Solutions must address every level of the system, including the environments that shape decisions.

Biopsychosocial Model.

A Tale of Two Paradigms

“The problem is alcoholics, and there's nothing you can do about them anyway.”

Frieden, T. R. (2010). A framework for public health action: The Health Impact

Pyramid. American Journal of Public Health, 100 (4), 590-595.

David Jernigan, PhD; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

THE 4 P’S OF MARKETING

POLICY: WHAT IS IT? A policy is a formalized rule, regulation,

procedure, ordinance, or law – usually written – that establishes standards for behavior.

“Honesty is the best policy.” ~Ben Franklin

“Policy is an important tool for creating healthier environments that encourage healthier lifestyles.”~Roger Magnusson, Sydney Law School

EXAMPLES OF POLICIES A mother tells her son that for the upcoming school year,

he is not allowed to stay out later than 10:00 p.m. on school nights or he will lose permission to use the family car.

The Parish Council of a local church resolves not to serve alcohol at church-related and community events. People who violate the policy forfeit their event deposit.

A community passes an ordinance mandating that entertainment venues require all staff to attend a responsible beverage server training as a condition of licensing.

President Obama signed a law yesterday permanently banning two major ingredients in bath salts.