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| ABOUT ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH |
Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence since 1987, encourages local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Alcohol Awareness Month began as a way of reaching the American public with information about the disease of alcoholism - that it is a treatable disease, not a moral weakness, and that alcoholics are capable of recovery. As a national public awareness campaign, Alcohol Awareness Month has featured honorary chairpersons such as Senator George McGovern, Dr. David Satcher, the former Surgeon General, Barry McCaffrey, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and New York Yankees baseball star Derek Jeter. A primary focus of Alcohol Awareness Month over the years has been Underage Drinking and the devastating effects it can have on our youth.
An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month has been Alcohol-Free Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April (April 4-6, 2003). Alcohol-Free Weekend is designed to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, and businesses. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days. Those who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms. Essentially, it is a community consciousness-raising effort about alcoholism and health related issues and may serve as a trigger to recovery.
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| HONORARY CHAIR |
The Honorary Chair for Alcohol Awareness Month 2003 will be the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free. This organization is a unique coalition of more than 30 Governors' spouses, Federal agencies, and public and private groups focused on preventing the use of alcohol by children ages 9 to 15. For more information about the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, please visit their website: Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free (alcoholfreechildren.org).
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KIT CONTENTS |
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| GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THIS KIT |
Alcohol Awareness Month
April 2003
- 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.
Distribute information 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.
FEBRUARY
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.
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| SOME HELPFUL LINKS |
QUICK LINKS: | BACKGROUND | KIT CONTENTS | INSTRUCTIONS | DOWNLOAD KIT | TOP OF PAGE
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| PROCLAMATION |
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 2003
WHEREAS, alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10-24: motor-vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide; and
WHEREAS, approximately 9.7 million current drinkers in the United States are between the ages of 12-20; and
WHEREAS, alcohol is the most frequently used drug by high-school seniors; and
WHEREAS, young people begin drinking, on average, at 13.1 years of age; and
WHEREAS, young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21; and
WHEREAS, alcohol abuse is linked to as many as two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students and is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other transmitted diseases; and
WHEREAS, the typical American young person will see 100,000 beer commercials before he or she turns 18 (that is more than for sneakers, gum and jeans); and
WHEREAS, 13 percent of all youth, ages 12-17, had at least one serious problem related to drinking in the past year;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, (INSERT NAME OF LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL) do hereby proclaim that April 2003 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 encourage recovery throughout our community.
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| MEDIA ADVISORY |
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 END UNDERAGE DRINKING |
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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 give children a chance and end underage drinking. Hundreds of communities across the country will also participate in this grassroots effort to highlight the dangers of underage drinking and identify workable solutions. | |
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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) |
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WHEN: |
INSERT DATE)
(INSERT TIME) |
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WHERE: | (INSERT LOCATION)
(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION)
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| NEWS RELEASES |
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 take 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):
(INSERT NAME OF OFFICIAL) PROCLAIMS
ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH IN (INSERT NAME OF COMMUNITY)
AND JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
TO END UNDERAGE DRINKING |
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(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 highlight the critical public health issue of underage drinking in America.
"(INSERT QUOTE ABOUT UNDERAGE DRINKING FROM PUBLIC OFFICIAL)" said (INSERT NAME OF PUBLIC OFFICIAL).
"(INSERT QUOTE DESCRIBING LOCAL EFFORTS TO END 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 "Give Children a Chance - End Underage Drinking."
(INSERT PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING YOUR ORGANIZATION) |
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(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION)
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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:
ALCOHOL-FREE WEEKEND TO BE OBSERVED APRIL 4-6, 2003 |
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Alcohol-Free Weekend, traditionally observed during Alcohol Awareness Month in April, is scheduled for April 4-6, 2003.
(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 by communities throughout the United States, is a national grassroots effort to support research, education, intervention and treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. Sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence since 1987, Alcohol Awareness Month offers organizations with different missions an opportunity to work together to raise awareness about the negative consequences of underage drinking.
(INSERT PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION)
(INSERT DATE OF DISTRIBUTION) |
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| :30 RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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, 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 give yourself a chance 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 give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance, 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 end underage drinking and give children a chance 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 Director of Communications, NCADD, 244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022.
Sample cover letter:
Dear Editor:
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and hundreds of communities throughout the country are joining together to focus on the critical public health issue of underage drinking. (INSERT NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION) is leading that effort locally.
One important aspect of this national problem is the virtual flood of alcohol advertising our children are subjected to.
We hope that you will consider publishing the enclosed op ed piece to stimulate discussion about one of the most important public health issues in (INSERT NAME OF YOUR COMMUNITY).
Thank you for your consideration.
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Sincerely,
(INSERT NAME & TITLE)
(INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION) |
Sample Op Ed:
IT'S TIME WE SOLD THE DOWNSIDE OF DRINKING
What has been overlooked in the recent controversy about so-called "hard liquor" ads appearing on television is the fact that our airwaves have long been awash in beer commercials that make drinking seem like a harmless activity enjoyed by people who are always happy, attractive and successful. Is it any wonder that teenagers already consume more than a billion cans of beer each year? Or that 33% of high school seniors report they have been drunk during the past month?
While beer's low price and easy availability may have as much to do with its popularity among youth as television commercials, there can be no denying that the millions of dollars brewers (and also vintners) spend to advertise their product overwhelms any attempts by parents or schools to educate children about alcohol. It also has left the public with the mistaken impression that beer and wine are somehow less dangerous than distilled spirits when the reality is that standard servings of each contain the same amount of alcohol.
If distillers eventually prevail in their determination to join other members of the alcoholic beverage industry in advertising on television, the number of pro-drinking messages will escalate even further. That's why many have begun to join the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in proposing "counter" advertising as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent drinking among young people.
Unlike public service advertising, which is usually produced on a shoestring budget and relies on extremely limited time donated by the media, a well-financed counter advertising campaign could run compelling television spots during programs young people watch. In addition to "selling" the downside of drinking, these spots also would provide powerful social reinforcement for an individual's decision not to drink.
Where would the money come from to pay for counter advertising? A modest "dime a drink" tax increase on beer and wine, with an adjustment of distilled spirits taxes to this level, would generate nearly $4 billion in new revenue the first year, a portion of which could be designated for counter advertising. The tax increase also would have the added benefit of immediately reducing consumption by teenagers, who are more sensitive to price than other drinkers. Researchers have estimated that an increase in the price of beer even as modest as a dime per six pack would reduce the number of 16- to 21-year-olds who drink by approximately 11 percent.
State governments in Massachusetts and California already have demonstrated that the one-two punch of an excise tax increase and counter advertising can help prevent smoking. The nation would be well served if we tried a similar approach with underage drinking which is, far and away, America's biggest illegal drug problem.
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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:
April is national Alcohol Awareness Month and the focus is on underage drinking. Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by high school seniors, and its use is increasing. Boys usually try alcohol for the first time at just 11 years old, while the average age for American girls' first drink is 13. Underage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes and contributes to youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries. Additionally, alcohol abuse is linked to as many as two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students and is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other transmitted diseases.
Sadly, however, high school students lack essential knowledge about alcohol and its effects. Nationwide, an estimated 5.6 million junior and senior high school students are unsure of the legal age to purchase alcohol; one third do not understand the intoxicating effects of alcohol; and more than 2.6 million do not know a person can die from an overdose of alcohol.
While the issue of underage drinking is a complex problem, one that can only be solved through a sustained and cooperative effort between parents, schools, community leaders, and the children themselves, there are three areas which have proven to be effective in prevention of underage drinking: curtailing the availability of alcohol, consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations, and changing cultural misconceptions and behaviors through education.
Let's all wake up to this problem and get started on the solution. We can't afford to wait any longer.
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Sincerely,
(INSERT NAME & TITLE)
(INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION) |
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| SUGGESTED GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES |
FOR STATES
Issue an Alcohol Awareness Month proclamation 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 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 4 through Sunday, April 6 (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 Friday, April 10 (Contact: NATIONAL MENTAL ILLNESS SCREENING PROJECT, INC., One Washington Street, Suite 304, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481-1706, 781/239-0071, www.mentalhealthscreening.org).
Schedule "Parent Empowerment Workshops" to raise their level of awareness and understanding of issues surrounding family recovery; 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 support and encourage recovery. 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 or eccpasa@worldnet.att.net).
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 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS
Organize alcohol-free extracurricular activities, sporting events, dances and rock concerts, using promotional items such as t-shirts and hats, and promote them to other students as alcohol-free activities.
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 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.
FOR STUDENTS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Integrate alcohol issues into the ongoing religious education of young people.
Encourage role models who have achieved success without using/abusing alcohol to participate in congregation-sponsored events.
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 healing effects of treatment for all family members.
Publish information about recovery programs 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.
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.
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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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