Webcast: Getting to Outcomes in Underage Drinking Prevention

On May 21, from 10-11:30 a.m., the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will host Getting to Outcomes in Underage Drinking Prevention, a live, interactive webcast.  The webcast will highlight communities that are using Town Hall Meetings to engage individuals and organization in achieving measurable outcomes through the use of evidence-based environmental prevention strategies.  A panel of national, State, and local activists will discuss approaches that are working to prevent and reduce underage alcohol use and its consequences and will respond to questions and comments from online participants.  The webcast supports SAMHSA's National Prevention Week and, specifically, Underage Drinking Prevention Day on May 21.  

Details on how to log in or pose questions to the panel will be posted on May 21. No registration is required.

Prevention part of the National Drug Control Strategy

I recently posted information from the 2012 National Drug Control Strategy.  The strategy highlights the importance of youth substance abuse prevention:

Drug use, including the abuse of prescription medications and underage drinking, significantly affects the health and well-being of the Nation's youth and young adults.  Substance use affects academic performance and military preparedness and is linked to crime, motor vehicle crashes and fatalities, lost productivity, and increase health care costs.  Stopping use before it begins can increase an individual's chances of living a longer, healthier, and more productive life.  Put simply, drug prevention saves lives and cuts long-term costs.  Recent research has shown that each dollar invested in an evidence-based prevention program can reduce costs related to substance use disorders by an average of $18.  

The strategy goes on to describe the many community-level prevention activities that are supported by federal dollars.  Among them are Drug Free Communities (DFC) coalitions, such as Prevention WINS.  A national evaluation of the 718 DFC coalitions found that youth substance use declined significantly in communities with DFC grantees.

In NE Seattle, served by the Prevention WINS coalition, underage drinking rates declined significantly between 2006 -- when the coalition was formed -- and 2010.  During that time, the coalition's primary focus was the reduction of underage drinking rates that were higher than the state average.  Many community organizations and individuals came together and conducted a variety of prevention strategies and activities that supported healthy decision making among middle and high school students.

The chart below shows the 2006 and 2010 alcohol-related data for 10th grade students in NE Seattle -- Nathan Hale and Roosevelt High School combined -- according to the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey.  

Joe Camel in a Bottle - free online training

Free online training: Alcohol Trends & Research Update
Thursday, April 19
12-1:15 p.m.

Learn about:

-- the dramatic shift in beverage preference of America’s youth from beer to distilled spirits during the last decade.

-- the role of distilled spirits marketing in challenging beer’s dominance of the youth market.

-- the implications of spirits marketing for underage drinking prevention policy.

Speaker is James F. Mosher, JD: Alcohol Policy Specialist.  Mr. Mosher's pioneering work in alcohol policy has brought him international acclaim. His expertise spans numerous topics, including underage drinking prevention, alcohol marketing, community prevention strategies, alcohol law, dram shop liability, and social host liability. Jim Mosher has completed a new case study of alcohol marketing to young people, "Joe Camel in a Bottle: Diageo, the Smirnoff Brand, and the Transformation of the Youth Alcohol Market", which was published in the American Journal of Public Health.


To register: http://www.udetc.org/audioconfregistration.asp.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month, held every April, is sponsored by National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence to increase public awareness aimed at reducing the stigma that often prevents individuals and families from seeking help.  In 2012, NCADD celebrates the 26^th Anniversary of Alcohol Awareness Month with the theme, “Healthy Choices, Healthy Communities: Prevent Underage Drinking."

NCADD's website includes materials for local groups to conduct alcohol awareness activities including an "Organizer's Guide" that contains sample media releases, proclamations and other pubic information materials. 

A Prevention Services Task Force, appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides information about alcohol policy -- what works and what does not when it comes to preventing underage drinking and excessive alcohol consumption. 

Teacher support can delay alcohol use among middle school students

Emotional health factors, including anxiety and depression, stress and social support can predict early substance abuse in youth, according to a study conducted through Seattle Children's Research Institute and researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle University.  Students who felt more emotional support from teachers reported a delay in alcohol initiation.  Those who reported higher levels of separation anxiety from their parents were also at decreased risk for early alcohol use.