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15th Annual
Alcohol Awareness Month |
2001 Focus: |
UNDERAGE
DRINKING |
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Containing:
Organizer's Guide (includes Sample Proclamation;
Media Advisory & News Release;
:30 Radio PSA Scripts;
Op Ed Piece;
Letter to the Editor;
Suggested Grassroots Activities)
Camera-Ready Advertisements
Youth, Alcohol and Other Drugs Fact Sheet
2001 Resource and Referral Guide
April 2001
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THIS KIT
- All of the copycat materials may be reproduced or adapted to your
own needs and distributed within your community without permission. An
acknowledgment that the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence,
Inc. as the sponsor of Alcohol Awareness Month, and identification of our
website (www.ncadd.org) as a good resource would be appreciated. (Note: Some users of Microsoft Explorer have experienced difficulty printing this kit. Please contact the NCADD webmaster if you experience similar problems.)
- Place the camera-ready advertisements as soon as possible in your
own newsletters and publications. Distribute copies to other organizations
and local print media to begin generating early community interest in
Alcohol Awareness Month.
- Add local information to the sample proclamation and press materials
to greatly increase their appeal for officials and media in your community.
- The following time line may be helpful in using this kit:
JANUARY
Materials available; customize materials for use in your community; identify public official to issue proclamation; begin planning suggested grassroots activities or develop your own activities; place camera-ready advertisements.
FEBRUARY
Continue placing camera-ready advertisements; submit live copy PSAs to radio stations.
MARCH
Adapt sample proclamation and press materials for local use; plan proclamation ceremony or press event to kick-off Alcohol Awareness Month; distribute media advisory and news release; make follow-up phone calls to media.
APRIL
Publicize each of your Alcohol Awareness Month activities to target audiences; submit letter to the editor and op ed piece.
| PROCLAMATION |
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Instructions for use:
- Make a list of top public officials and other leaders in your community who have expressed concern about alcohol problems. Decide who would attract the most press coverage.
- Make the proclamation as relevant to your community as possible by adding local statistics to the sample below. You will have a much better chance of enlisting the support of a local public official.
- If anyone in your organization knows the person you want to issue the proclamation, have that individual send it directly to the official, then follow up with a phone call. If you don't have a personal contact, send the proclamation to the individual's press representative or community affairs liaison with a cover letter explaining your request and the activities that you have planned for Alcohol Awareness Month.
- Contact other concerned organizations in your community and ask them to participate in Alcohol Awareness Month. Ask them to send letters to the official urging him/her to issue a proclamation.
- Once an official agrees to issue the proclamation, work with his/her office on a final draft. Reproduce the proclamation as large as possible for use as a prop on television.
- Schedule a press conference or photo opportunity with the official for the last week in March to announce Alcohol Awareness Month in your community. Use the event to highlight a successful local prevention program for youth and to publicize other activities you have planned. Invite local health, law enforcement and educational professionals to participate.
Sample proclamation:
ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH 2001
WHEREAS, about 6.8 million Americans between ages 12-20 are "binge" drinkers (consuming 5 or more drinks in a row on a single occasion) including 2.1 million heavy drinkers (consuming 5 or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 5 different days); and
WHEREAS, approximately 8% of the nation's 8th graders, 24% of 10th graders and 32% of 12th graders have been drunk during the last month; and
WHEREAS, use of alcohol and other drugs is associated with the leading causes of death and injury (e.g., motor-vehicle crashes, homicides, and suicides) among teenagers and young adults; and
WHEREAS, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at 21; and
WHEREAS, alcohol use is implicated in one- to two-thirds of sexual assault and acquaintance or "date" rape cases among teens and college students; and
WHEREAS, the total cost of alcohol use by youth--including traffic crashes, violent crime, burns, drowning, suicide attempts, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisonings and treatment--is more than $58 billion per year;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, (INSERT NAME OF LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL) do hereby proclaim that April 2001 is Alcohol Awareness Month in (INSERT NAME OF AREA GOVERNED BY LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL). As the (INSERT TITLE OF LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL) I also call upon all citizens, parents, governmental agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, hospitals and schools in (REPEAT NAME OF AREA) to support efforts that will prevent underage drinking throughout our community. | |
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MEDIA ADVISORY & NEWS RELEASE
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Instructions for use of media advisory:
- Substitute local information in the media advisory below, reproduce copies on your letterhead or news release paper and use it to alert the media to your Alcohol Awareness Month proclamation ceremony.
- Send the media advisory to the city desks of your local newspapers and to the assignment editors at your local radio and television stations. Be sure that they receive the advisory at least two days before the event.
- Call the media the day before your event to make sure that they received the advisory and try to persuade them to cover the event.
Sample media advisory:
For More Information, Contact:
(INSERT NAME & TITLE OF LOCAL CONTACT)
(INSERT PHONE NUMBER) |
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... MEDIA ADVISORY ... MEDIA ADVISORY ... MEDIA ADVISORY ... |
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| (INSERT NAME OF OFFICIAL) TO PROCLAIM ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH IN (INSERT NAME OF AREA) IN NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING |
WHAT: (INSERT NAME OF PUBLIC OFFICIAL) will proclaim that April is Alcohol Awareness Month in (INSERT NAME OF AREA) and join a national campaign to "draw the line" against underage drinking." Hundreds of communities across the country will also participate in this grassroots effort to prevent the use of alcohol among teenagers.
WHO: (INSERT NAME AND TITLE OF PUBLIC OFFICIAL)
(INSERT NAME AND TITLE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION)
(INSERT NAMES AND TITLES OF ONE OR TWO OTHER NEWSWORTHY PARTICIPANTS)
WHEN: (INSERT DATE)
(INSERT TIME)
WHERE: (INSERT LOCATION)
(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION) |
Instructions for use of news releases:
- Substitute local information in the news releases below, reproduce copies on your letterhead or news release paper to inform media that your local public official has proclaimed that April is Alcohol Awareness Month in your community.
- Give the news releases to press covering the proclamation ceremony. Send copies to the city desks of your local newspapers and to the assignment editors at your local radio and television stations. They should receive the releases shortly before the events takes place. Even if they don't send a reporter, a story can be written.
Sample news release to announce Alcohol Awareness Month:
For More Information, Contact:
(INSERT NAME & TITLE OF LOCAL CONTACT)
(INSERT PHONE NUMBER)
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For Release (INSERT DATE AND TIME OF EVENT): |
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(INSERT NAME OF OFFICIAL) PROCLAIMS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH IN (INSERT NAME OF COMMUNITY) AND JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING |
(INSERT NAME AND TITLE OF PUBLIC OFFICIAL) today, (INSERT DATE), proclaimed that April is Alcohol Awareness Month in (INSERT NAME OF AREA) and joined a national grassroots campaign to "draw the line" against underage drinking.
"(INSERT QUOTE ABOUT IMPACT OF UNDERAGE DRINKING ON LOCAL COMMUNITY FROM PUBLIC OFFICIAL)" said (INSERT NAME OF PUBLIC OFFICIAL). "(INSERT QUOTE DESCRIBING LOCAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING FROM REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION)" said (INSERT NAME AND TITLE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION).
(INSERT PARAGRAPH ABOUT LOCAL ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH ACTIVITIES).
Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) since 1987, encourages local communities to focus on underage drinking. Though it remains the number-one drug problem among youth, alcohol is often overlooked in the nation's efforts to prevent use of tobacco and illicit drugs in this population. About 10.4 million Americans between ages 12-20 had at least one drink last month; of these, more than half were "binge" drinkers, meaning that they consumed five or more drinks in a row on a single occasion. Use of alcohol by young people puts them at much higher risk for the leading causes of death (motor-vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides) in their age group; it also costs the nation more than $58 billion per year, including traffic crashes, violent crime, burns, drowning, suicide attempts, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisonings and treatment. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, children who begin drinking before the age of 15 have a four times greater chance of becoming alcoholic as an adult than those who begin at 21, the legal drinking age.
(INSERT PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING YOUR ORGANIZATION)
--30--
(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION) |
Sample news release to announce Alcohol-Free Weekend:
For More Information, Contact:
(INSERT NAME & TITLE OF LOCAL CONTACT)
(INSERT PHONE NUMBER)
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For Immediate Release: |
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ALCOHOL-FREE WEEKEND TO BE OBSERVED APRIL 6-8, 2001 |
Alcohol-Free Weekend, traditionally observed during Alcohol Awareness Month in April, is scheduled for April 6-8, 2001. (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) asks parents and other adults to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for a 72-hour period to demonstrate to young people that alcohol isn't necessary to have a good time. If participants discover they can't go without a drink during this period, they are urged to call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER OR 800/622-2255) for information about alcoholism.
(INSERT PARAGRAPH ABOUT WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DOING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY OBSERVE ALCOHOL-FREE WEEKEND)
Alcohol Awareness Month, observed in April by communities throughout the United States, is a national grassroots effort to support research, education, intervention and treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. A grassroots event led by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence since 1987, it offers organizations with different missions an opportunity to work together to raise awareness about the negative consequences of drinking.
(INSERT PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION)
--30--
(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION) |
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:30 RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Instructions for use:
- Adapt any or all of the following "live copy" radio scripts for local use.
- Type each script, double-spaced, on your letterhead with the name of a contact person from your organization.
- Try to submit scripts to radio public service directors in your community by mid-February. Your chances of getting them aired may increase if you give each radio station a different set of scripts.
- Follow up with a phone call to the public service director 3-5 days after you submit the scripts asking if they have arrived and if broadcast during April will be possible.
- If the public service director was receptive to your first phone call, follow up with an additional call in late March to remind him/her of the PSA.
- Send a thank you note to the manager of any radio station that airs one of your PSAs.
Live copy scripts:
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants parents to know that if your kids are drinking, they're probably drinking to get drunk. That puts them at much higher risk for fatal injury and academic failure. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants young women to know that drinking puts them at higher risk for sexual assault. Don't let alcohol give a guy an excuse not to take no for an answer. For more information about what you can do to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants everyone to know that you can overdose on alcohol just as easily as you can with any other drug. Drinking too much too fast can kill you. For more information about what you can do to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants everyone to know that drinking too much too fast can kill you or someone you know. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include unconsciousness, abnormally slow breathing and cold, clammy skin. For more information, call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants young men to avoid the double whammy of drinking and dating. Alcohol can impair both your judgment and your performance. For more information about what you can do to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants young people to remember that you don't have to drink if you don't want to. Who says party animals have to set the agenda? For more information about what you can do to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) wants parents to know that if your kids are under the age of 21 and they're drinking, then they're doing illegal drugs. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) is sounding a wake-up call by telling our community that bars and stores that sell booze to minors are pushing the illegal drug that does the most damage. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that alcohol is the deadliest drug for America's teenagers: a 16-year old is more likely to die from a drinking-related problem than any other cause. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that drinking is associated with the leading causes of death among young people, including car crashes, murder and suicide. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that the vast majority of students don't know that a standard mixed drink, a glass of table wine and a can of beer all contain the same amount of alcohol. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that despite the legal drinking age of 21, high school students still consume 31 million gallons of wine coolers and 102 million gallons of beer each year. For more information about how to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that even though most teenagers know that you should not drink and drive, nearly a third still accepts rides from drivers who have been drinking. For more information about how to draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that nearly 2/3 of teenagers who drink--including those as young as 12 or 13--report that they can walk into a store and buy their own alcoholic beverages. For more information about how to draw the line against underage drinking call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) asks you to consider this: college students consume more beer than soft drinks and studies have shown that the more alcohol they drink, the lower their grade point average. For more information about how to draw the line against underage drinking call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) asks you to consider this: typical American college students spend more on beer than they do on textbooks, although the majority of them cannot drink legally. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) reminds you that college students whose academic performances are below average drink three times as much as college students who earn As. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) offers you several tragic reasons besides the law to take underage drinking seriously: highway death, drowning, suicide, violent injury and unwanted pregnancy. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and if you think your child is drinking to have a good time with friends, think again: many kids drink alone because they are bored or depressed. This puts them at greater risk for developing alcoholism. For more information about how you can draw the line against underage drinking in (INSERT NAME OF AREA), call (INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER). That's (REPEAT PHONE NUMBER).
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| OP ED PIECE |
Instructions for use:
- Call the editorial page of the most widely circulated newspaper in your city. Ask if they accept "op ed" pieces and find out the name of the person to whom they should be directed.
- Type the sample cover letter, on your organization's letterhead, for signature by one of your board members or the head of your organization. Type the sample op ed double-spaced on blank paper. Submit both the cover letter and the op ed to the appropriate person.
- Follow up with a phone call to the appropriate person several days later. Ask if the op ed has arrived and whether it is being considered for publication.
- If your initial attempt is unsuccessful, repeat the process with other newspapers in your area, but make sure that no more than one newspaper at a time is considering your op ed. If a newspaper does not agree to publish it, submit the op ed to other newspapers.
- Send copies of any published op ed to Public Information Office, NCADD, 12 West 21st Street, New York, NY, 10010.
Sample cover letter:
Dear Editor:
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and hundreds of communities throughout the country are joining together to draw the line against underage drinking. (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) is leading that effort locally.
We hope that you will consider publishing the enclosed op ed piece to stimulate discussion about the most intractable drug problem among youth in (INSERT NAME OF YOUR COMMUNITY).
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(INSERT NAME & TITLE)
(INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION)
Sample Op Ed:
With all the positive attention that "social norms marketing" campaigns have been getting--including front page articles in both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times--it should come as no surprise that the incredibly skillful and well funded public relations machine of the alcoholic beverage industry is behind this dubious effort to get college students to cut back on their drinking.
What is shocking, however, is the compliance, even enthusiastic support in some cases, of college administrators who basically have thrown up their hands and decided to tacitly sanction illegal drug use on their campus by persons under the age of 21. The federal government successfully managed to impose this life saving minimum throughout the nation by threatening to withhold highway funds from states that did not raise their legal drinking ages to 21; we only can hope that some similar kind of federal intervention will bring college administrators to their senses.
Industry support aside, "social norms marketing" campaigns still should raise eyebrows among college administrators who haven't adopted this unproven method to reduce binge drinking as well as parents who are paying higher tuition than ever before for their child's college education. These campaigns suggest to students that their peers drink less than they believe, as little as four drinks per week. If students consumed these four drinks over a week-long period, one at a time, then it's true that alcohol would pose a much lesser threat to their health and safety. But anyone who ever has studied alcohol consumption among college students or simply attended a frat party will tell you that these kids drink with one purpose in mind: to get drunk.
And just for the sake of argument, let's pretend that the "social norms" approach does succeed in encouraging a student to quaff only four brews on a given occasion. Number one: this will still result in a .08 BAC level--the new national standard for impaired driving--in any student weighing less than 200 pounds. Number two: when you're sober, it's much easier to think that you actually will be able to stop at four (twice the amount that federal government defines as moderate drinking for adults) than when you're already well on you're way to a dangerous level of intoxication.
Finally--and here's where the profit-driven motives of the alcoholic beverage industry become most apparent--what about the 60% of college students who don't binge drink? If "social norms" can persuade some students to stop at just four beers, won't they also encourage current abstainers to start? Or light drinkers to consume more? Not only does Anheuser Busch reap good public relations for its sponsorship of these efforts, but the stockholders still get to keep their market share of the $4.2 BILLION college students spend on booze every year!
Any real solutions to high risk drinking on college campuses will never receive the support of the alcoholic beverage industry because getting the public to take underage drinking as seriously as underage smoking and illicit drug use would cut into its bottom line.
Stacia Murphy, President
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
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| LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
Instructions for use:
- Retype the sample cover letter below on your own letterhead and have it signed by the head of your organization.
- Submit the letter to the editor of the most widely read newspaper in your area. Follow up with a phone call to the letters department to ask if the letter has arrived and whether it is being considered for publication.
- If the letter is rejected, submit it to the editors of other daily and weekly newspapers, one at a time, in your area.
Sample letter:
Dear Editor:
Once again underage drinking has been given short shrift by the federal government in its drug prevention efforts.
A survey of drug use released last year indicates that the rate of first-time drinkers between the ages of 12 and 17 nearly doubled from 117.6 per 1,000 kids in 1989 to 216.8 per 1,000 kids in 1997. That means that twice as many kids are at risk for getting into trouble with alcohol.
Yet our children aren't seeing any underage drinking prevention messages in the anti drug campaign now costing tax payers $195 million. Described as "the largest multicultural advertising and communications effort every undertaken by the federal government," it ignores alcohol.
How much longer are we going to tolerate such a misguided policy? After all, the most likely cause of death for a 16-year-old is alcohol-related.
Sincerely,
(INSERT NAME & TITLE)
(INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION)
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| SUGGESTED GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES |
For States:
- Issue an Alcohol Awareness Month proclamation (see sample) from the Governor's Office.
- Pass keg registration laws that enable police to identify and impose sanctions against establishments that sell kegs of beer to underage drinkers, or individuals who purchase kegs for the purpose of providing them to underage drinkers.
For Communities:
- Issue an Alcohol Awareness Month proclamation (see sample) from the Mayor's Office.
- Offer public recognition to young people who lead alcohol and other drug-free lifestyles.
- Observe "Alcohol-Free Weekend" from Friday, April 6 through Sunday, April 8 (see sample news release). In some communities, family-oriented businesses provide discounts or free admission to members of the community who have signed a pledge to remain alcohol-free with an organization that works to prevent alcoholism and other drug addictions.
- Partner with local businesses (including fast food restaurants, book, video and music stores, movie theaters, skating rinks, bowling alleys and miniature golf courses) for alcohol-free youth events or promotions.
- Participate in National Alcohol Screening Day on Thursday, April 5 (Contact: NATIONAL MENTAL ILLNESS SCREENING PROJECT, INC., One Washington Street, Suite 304, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481-1706, 781/239-0071).
- Participate in World Health Day ("Open Minds . . . Open Doors: Prevent and Treat Mental Illness and Substance Abuse. It Works for All of Us") on Saturday, April 7 (Contact: American Association for World Health, 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1208, Washington DC, 2006, 202/466-5883).
- Work with state alcoholic beverage control authorities, local law enforcement agencies and media to conduct "sting" operations to expose and prosecute illegal sales of alcoholic beverages to minors.
- Publicize how alcoholic beverage companies target inner city youth with malt liquor products such as Anheuser Busch's Hurricane. If Hurricane is sold in your community, organize local youth to stage protests outside of stores selling the product to attract media attention.
- Schedule "Parent Empowerment Workshops" to raise their level of awareness and understanding of issues surrounding underage drinking; to teach how adult role models both within and outside the family can influence young people; to look at the effect of advertising; and to show how every parent can do his/her part to change social attitudes. These workshops will help parents maintain standards of conduct, let participants know that other parents support their standards and encourage members of the community to accept nothing less than zero tolerance for anyone under 21. They can be hosted by the PTA, churches, service clubs and taken to local business. Hold them during the day, at lunch, at night or on weekends.
- Sponsor a "Safe Homes" campaign, enlisting parents to pledge that they will not serve alcohol to minors in their homes (Contact: Sally Yageric, HEALTHY FAMILIES AND TRAINING RESOURCE CENTER, 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst, NY, 14226, 716/839-1157).
- Review school rules regarding the use of alcohol, paying particular attention to athletic codes, and determine if the rules are adequately enforced.
- Organize an Alcohol Awareness parade or rally.
- Counter the pressures on young people to drink through after-school programs, good recreational facilities, alternative education programs for potential school drop-outs, job training, confidential health services and community service opportunities.
- Insert a list of self-help groups and local resources with public utility bills.
- Plan an Alcohol Awareness Month luncheon at a local hospital with guest speakers who represent the health community.
For Colleges:
- Raise awareness of the fact that alcohol--by far the drug of choice for college students--and binge drinking are key factors in academic and social problems on American campuses. Recognize the link between serious campus problems and alcohol: vandalism, date rape, poor academic performance, dropouts, injuries and death.
- Appoint a task force consisting of school administrators, faculty, students, Greek system representatives and others to make recommendations for a broad range of policy and program changes that would serve to reduce alcohol- and other drug-related problems, and provide the resources necessary for implementing and promoting such changes.
- Provide maximum opportunities for students to live in an alcohol-free environment and to engage in stimulating, alcohol-free recreational and leisure activities. Increase programming and social activities at the beginning of the academic year when students may be more susceptible to high risk drinking.
- Enforce a `zero tolerance' policy on the illegal consumption of alcohol by students both on and off campus and take steps to reduce the opportunities for students, faculty, staff and alumni to legally consume alcohol on campus by limiting places and times for drinking; prohibiting drunkenness; regulating conditions of use; and not sanctioning a "bar" on campus.
- Avoid "social norms" programs, typically funded by the alcoholic beverage industry, that tacitly encourage "low risk drinking" among students below the legal drinking age.
- Establish alcohol education programs on college campuses which include information on alcoholism prevention and treatment, and stress the non-use of alcohol as a healthy and viable option.
- Ban alcohol sales at sporting arenas, or establish alcohol-free seating sections.
- Eliminate alcoholic beverage advertising and promotion in all forms from university and college campuses, including alcohol industry sponsorship of college activities.
- Form "Town/Gown" alliances with community leaders to encourage commercial establishments that promote or sell alcoholic beverages to curtail illegal student access to alcohol and adopt responsible alcohol marketing and service practices.
- Encourage prevention efforts by having students and faculty direct studies in their discipline toward college drinking problems.
- Order "Developing Effective and Legally Sound Alcohol Policies" from the American Council on Education (Office of General Counsel, One Dupont Circle, NW, Washington, DC, 20036; enclosed a self-addressed envelope stamped with 2 oz. worth of postage).
- Organize and promote alcohol-free activities during spring break.
For Fraternities and Sororities:
- Sponsor non-alcoholic rush or membership recruitment activities.
- Ban alcohol from events where minors are likely to be present.
- Contact the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation (11711 N. Meridian Street, #100, Carmel, IN, 46032, 317/818-3050) for more information about their binge drinking prevention program.
For Middle and High Schools:
- Sponsor a dance, take action to prevent students from drinking either before, during or after the activity and heavily promote the alcohol-free aspect.
- Use liners in school cafeteria trays to promote Alcohol Awareness Month.
- Ask local grocery stores to provide quantities of grocery bags to schools and ask students to illustrate these bags with Alcohol Awareness Month messages. Return the illustrated bags to the grocery stores for use with customers during April.
- Raise money for alcohol prevention curricula and public education campaigns through school walk-a-thons, raffles, athletic events, auctions, concerts, plant and rummage sales, and dinners.
- Guidance counselors can develop a checklist regarding college alcohol policies to assist students and parents in their selection of schools.
- Administrators can examine advertising solicited by the school, including student newspapers and year books, to assure that there is a consistent and appropriate message regarding no use of alcohol. They can also examine policy that is used in the selection of favors for dances to assure that there is a consistent no-use message for people under the age of 21. If a change in these policies seems advisable, use Alcohol Awareness Month as an opportunity to announce them.
- Teachers can raise student consciousness about the advertising of alcoholic beverages by enlisting their support to monitor the outdoor advertising industry's compliance with its voluntary code regarding alcoholic beverages. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (1212 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1210, Washington, DC, 20005) has adopted a voluntary code that calls for the removal of all alcohol and tobacco advertisements from billboards within 500 feet--the equivalent of one city block--of primary and secondary schools, places of worship and hospitals. Three of the nation's major advertisers: Gannett Outdoor (535 Madison Ave., New York, NY, 10022); Patrick Media Group (2101 Myrtle St., Scranton, PA, 18510); and Lamar Advertising (5551 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, 79808) have agreed to comply with the guidelines. Teachers can explain the OAAA voluntary code to students and help them target locations in the community where it applies. Teams of students can be assigned to visit these "off limits" locations to ensure that there are no violations. Students can record the address of any violations, noting the product advertised as well as the advertisement itself, and determine who owns the billboard (the name and logo of the company usually appear below the advertisement). Students can then inform the owner of the billboard in writing that the company is in violation of the OAAA code and send a copy of their letter to OAAA and to an elected official in their community who has pledged to do something about alcohol. By contacting local media with the story, you can generate attention for your efforts outside the classroom.
- Teachers can offer instruction on critical skills for watching television and understanding selling techniques and commercials during Alcohol Awareness Month. Ask students to clip print advertisements for alcoholic beverages and bring them to class for discussion. Students can learn that drinking isn't a way to feel or be "independent." Rather, students can learn that they are being "influenced" to drink and that independence from advertising influences really means not drinking. Also ask students to prepare a list of other "pro-drinking" influences, including sponsorships of sporting events and rock concerts, and promotional items such as t-shirts and hats.
For Media:
- If you work for a radio or television station, do what you can to urge the owners to follow the leads of the major television networks who have agreed not to accept advertising for distilled spirits.
- Work with local law enforcement and prevention agencies to expose commercial establishments (including convenience stores) that routinely sell alcohol to minors.
- Broadcast or publish relevant information (see radio PSAs, op ed piece and letter to the editor).
- For a week-long period during Alcohol Awareness Month analyze all news stories for mention of alcohol. Aside from such obvious stories as alcohol-related traffic fatalities, pay particular attention to violent crime, domestic violence, sexual abuse, suicide and other social issues where use of alcohol is likely to be involved. Then do a "round-up" story about the negative consequences of alcohol consumption illustrated by the evidence in your community.
- Counter and challenge stereotyping and glamorization of members of the journalism and entertainment professions as hard-drinking "heroes" by identifying leaders of your profession who do not engage in these practices, and by reporting the lost health, careers and lives of those who do.
For Religious Groups:
- Observe "Just Pray No!" to alcoholism and other drug addictions on April 21 and April 22, 2001. Local churches and other Christian organizations can obtain, at no cost, prayer clocks that allow members to sign up for a designated hour of prayer during the event (for more information, contact: "Just Pray No!," 2919 Bayview Avenue, Baldwin, NY, 11510, 516/377-6779 or justtprayno@email.com).
- Integrate alcohol issues into the ongoing religious education of young people.
- Address the question "Is Alcohol Affecting the Quality of Life of Our Young People?" through sermons and study groups.
- Encourage role models who have achieved success without using/abusing alcohol to participate in congregation-sponsored events for youth.
- Allow use of your facilities for alternative youth activities, mentoring programs, parent training, stress management seminars, healthy lifestyles workshops and substance abuse prevention education sessions.
- Assemble an "Alcohol Awareness Month" bulletin board. Ask members of your congregation to bring in news clippings of alcohol-related incidents in your community. Tell them to look for mentions of alcohol, particularly in crime stories.
- Conduct a candlelight vigil/parade or sponsor an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast which focuses on the tragic consequences of alcohol use by youth.
- Publish information about alcohol use by minors in church bulletins.
- Religious groups can establish an "Amnesty Day/Week" at their houses of worship for youth who need help but are embarrassed, afraid or don't know where to get it. Help and/or referrals can be provided confidentially and without fear of reprisal.
For Parents:
- Teach your child that abstinence from alcohol is an acceptable lifelong decision and that they have a right to stand up for a safe academic environment.
- Teach your child that drinking can be risky and to intervene when they see that their classmates are in trouble.
- If your child is of legal age to drink (21 in all states), explain to them how to use alcohol moderately (no more than two drinks per day for men, no more than one for women) and appropriately (as a complement to a meal and at social gatherings or during family celebrations).
- If you drink, be sure to set an ongoing healthy example regarding adult alcohol use and never brag about your use of alcohol or other drugs during your own college years.
- When helping your children to select an appropriate college, be willing to question officials about campus alcohol policies. The Best Colleges, an annual guide published by the Princeton Review, groups schools by categories ("Lots of beer," "Lots of hard liquor," "Major frat and sorority scene" and "Stone-cold sober schools" that provide useful information.
- Order a copy of "Alcohol, Other Drugs and College: A Parent's Guide" from the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA, 02458-1060, or call Shirley Marotta at 800/676-1730). The guide includes questions to ask admissions officers and administrators, students, faculty and campus security officers, and suggests indicators that parents and students can look for without asking questions.
- When your children go to college, set clear and realistic expectations regarding academic performance, and continue to be as interested and involved in their lives as you were when they were in high school.
For Students:
- Organize alcohol-free extracurricular activities and athletic teams and promote them to other students as such.
- Remember that use of alcohol is your decision and that drinking is not necessary for having a good time.
- Know that drinking too much too fast can kill you and that alcohol poisoning, a drug overdose, is more common than many people think.
- Avoid situations where someone else's alcohol- or other drug-use may put you at risk.
- Always respect another person's decision not to drink.
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National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
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244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022
phone: 212/269-7797 fax: 212/269-7510
email: national@ncadd.org http://www.ncadd.org
HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)
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