Promising Approaches in the Prevention of Underage Drinking
From Fall 1995Volume II, Number 3
In September 1992, NHTSA, CSAP, the National Association of Governors' Highway
Safety Representatives (NAGHSR), and the National Association of State Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) cosponsored a conference titled Reducing
Underage Drinking: A Call to Action. At this event , 143 participants
representing state and local government, national organizations, community
groups, law enforcement personnel, and public health officials developed
regional action plans to reduce underage drinking. The following September,
representatives of all four agencies and organizations participated in a
survey of NAGHSR and NASADAD members. In addition to questions about the
design, implementation, and evaluation of underage drinking prevention programs,
the survey explored issues pertaining to interagency collaboration.
The survey found that the majority of agencies were engaged in collaborative
activities. Common partners (in addition to alcohol and drug abuse prevention
and traffic safety agencies) included education and law enforcement agencies.
Respondents cited a number of barriers to reducing underage drinking including
youth's access to alcohol, the public perception that underage drinking
is not a serious problem, and the lack of enforcement resources.
NAGHSR and NASADAD, with funding from NHTSA and CSAP, then began work on
a report titled Promising Approaches in the Prevention of Underage Drinking:
Case Studies of State Activities. The report highlights 14 projects
that have a long-standing history of success (or more recent programs that
appear effective) that are easily replicable and that represent a range
of strategies and approaches. The report also identified a number of themes
common to successful programs including youth involvement, the use of multiple
strategies, and the development of an adult-based culture that views teenage
drinking as a problem rather than a rite of passage. Promising Approaches
in the Prevention of Underage Drinking is available from the National
Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), whose telephone
numbers and address are listed in this issue's Federal Field Guide.
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