Prevention and treatment professionals play a key role in combating underage drinking. This section provides health-specific information about underage drinking and resources for developing prevention and treatment programs.
0-0-1-3: Creating a Responsible Drinking Culture Program United States Air Force F.E. Warren’s 0-0-1-3: Creating A Responsible Drinking Culture program began in Spring 2004 with the goal of significantly decreasing alcohol-related incidents on the US Air Force base. The standard 0-0-1-3 stands for zero drinks under age 21, zero DUIs, maximum one drink per hour, maximum three drinks in one night. In order to reduce the problem of alcohol-related incidents, base leadership gathered a variety of base support agencies and created a plan with a three-pronged approach to create a responsible drinking culture.
2005 National Injury Prevention and Control Conference: Injury and Violence in America Center for Disease Control and Prevention Alcohol use among youth is a major risk factor for injury. The purpose of this study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control was to quantify recidivism and related characteristics of youth completing an injury prevention program for first-time offenders of underage drinking laws as part of a program evaluation.
Alcohol Alert No. 58: Changing the Culture of Campus Drinking (October 2002) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Drinking on college campuses is more pervasive and destructive than many people realize. The extent of the problem was recently highlighted by an extensive 3-year investigation by the Task Force on College Drinking, commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Alcohol Alert No. 59. Underage Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism This Alcohol Alert describes some of the most harmful consequences of underage drinking, as well as prevention and treatment approaches that can be applied successfully to meet the unique needs of this age group.
Alcohol Alert No. 67 : Underage Drinking - Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country.
Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (1–5).
Alcohol and Development in Youth— National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The recent National Research Council and Institute of Medicine report, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, underscores the dangers of underage drinking, even when the level of drinking falls short of a diagnosable condition. This report also proposes a strategy to begin to address this issue. This issue of Alcohol Research & Health is a first step in National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) efforts to bring the developmental perspective to bear upon the problem of underage drinking.
Alcohol Marketing and Advertising: A Report to Congress Federal Trade Commission This Federal Trade Commission report, requested by Congress, examines whether the beverage alcohol industry implemented the recommendations contained in the Commission’s 1999 report to Congress regarding alcohol industry self-regulation and the impact of advertisements for new flavored malt beverages on underage consumers.
Application of Antitrust Principles to Voluntary Industry Efforts to Restrict Marketing to Underage Persons Federal Trade Commission Restrictions in industry self-regulatory codes that are reasonably designed to prevent the targeting of alcohol advertising to underage persons are unlikely to violate the antitrust laws. First, the conduct targeted by the restrictions—advertising of alcohol to underage persons—is not the kind of activity the antitrust laws were intended to protect. While advertising is an important part of the competitive process, selling alcohol to underage persons is not; it is unlawful and thus not a legitimate form of competitive activity. Second, there are many means by which advertising messages can reach persons who are of legal drinking age.
Changes in Brain Activity in Alcohol-Dependent Young Women National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The study reported here sought to reveal possible changes in the brains of alcohol-dependent young women that might underlie the deficits in cognitive functioning observed in other studies of young drinkers.
Children’s Images of Alcohol National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism It is becoming increasingly clear that expectancies play an important role in alcohol use and related problems. Expectancies about the effects of alcohol are highly related to individual drinking habits. Individuals with strong positive alcohol expectancies drink more and are at greater risk for problem-drinking patterns.
College Drinking: Changing the Culture National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The goals of the Task Force on Underage Drinking are threefold: 1. Provide research-based information about the nature and extent of dangerous drinking to high school and college administrators, students, parents, community leaders, policymakers, researchers, and members of the retail beverage industry 2. Offer recommendations to college and university presidents on the potential effectiveness of current strategies to reverse the culture of drinking on campus 3. Offer recommendations to the research community, including NIAAA, for future research on preventing hazardous college student drinking.
Continuing Brain Development During Adolescence National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The early onset of puberty; the appearance of drives, impulses, and emotions before the appearance of self-control and mature judgment; and the decrease in external constraints that attends the beginning of adolescence increases the risk of a number of health problems, including alcohol and drug use. Approaches to prevention and strategies for early identification of children at risk should consider biological, psychological, and social development, as well as the interaction between these factors, in determining vulnerability to a variety of health threats.
Effect of Heavy Alcohol Use on Nervous System Development in Adolescents National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The immediate effects of intoxication on a person’s ability to think clearly are well known. But long-term, heavy alcohol use also may have lasting effects on nervous system development in young people. Recent studies have begun to evaluate the cognitive functioning of alcohol-dependent adolescents.
Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program supports and enhances efforts by States and local jurisdictions to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages to minors.
Focus On Prevention Center for Substance Abuse Prevention This guide was developed to help a wide range of groups and communities move from concerns about substance abuse to proven and practical solutions. It is a starting point that offers brief, practical, and easy-to-read information that is useful in planning and delivering prevention strategies.
Greater Alliance of Prevention Systems (GAPS): The Illinois Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Office of National Drug Control Policy The Greater Alliance of Prevention Systems was a 3-year, community-based program administered by the Illinois Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse in suburban Chicago. The project targeted 6- to 18-year-old African-American, Hispanic, and White youth at risk for alcohol and drug problems. The goal of the program was to positively affect youths’ level of risk and motivate them to help mobilize community resources to decrease drug and alcohol use throughout the community.
Indicators of School Crime and Safety No. 17: Student’s Use of Alcohol on School Property and Anywhere Institute of Education Sciences In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students in grades 9–12 were asked whether they had consumed alcohol at all in the past 30 days (referred to as “anywhere” in this analysis) and if they had consumed alcohol on school property. This indicator reviews the use of alcohol among young people.
Life’s First Great Crossroad: Tweens Make Choices That Affect Their Lives Forever Center for Disease Control and Prevention We are all too familiar with today’s portrayal of teenagers—rebellious, difficult, and driven by peer pressure. However, what we don’t see is that kids often start making good or bad choices before their teen years. Often referred to as the tween years, children between 9–13 years of age (grades 4–8) are straddling the fence between childhood and choice. On the one hand, they are beginning to branch out in their lives, looking to new horizons and taking on new responsibilities. Yet, as children, they still look to their parents for guidance about what is right and what is wrong; they still longingly seek approval and support from the adults who surround them. Tweens are facing life’s first great crossroad: the decisions they make today will last a lifetime. If we reach them now, we can help them grow into healthier adults.
NIH News Release: College Drinking Hazardous to Campus Communities. Task Force Calls for Research-Based Prevention Programs National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism The consequences of college drinking are larger and more destructive than commonly realized, according to a study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Commissioned by the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking, the study reveals that drinking by college students ages 18–24 contributes to an estimated 1,400 student deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. It also estimates that more than one-fourth of college students in this age group have driven in the past year while under the influence of alcohol.
Partners for Substance Abuse Prevention Center for Substance Abuse Prevention PARTNERS is dedicated to decreasing substance use and abuse by bringing effective prevention to every community. In pursuit of their mission, PARTNERS created an online meeting place that fosters collaboration between a nationwide network of organizations committed to preventing and eliminating substance abuse.
Peers and Their Relationship to Family Office of National Drug Control Policy Peers have long been recognized as a key influence on adolescents’ choices with respect to substance use. Some studies that look at peer influence in relationship to family influence are reviewed in this article.
Public Services Activities by the Beverage Alcohol Industry Federal Trade Commission The alcohol industry’s public service efforts include an array of programs and resources designed to reduce the harm associated with underage and abusive drinking, and to assist enforcement of the legal drinking age and drunk-driving laws. Many of these programs are undertaken in partnership with local, State and national community organizations, educational groups, and Government agencies. Materials are widely available free of charge, and often in different languages. This appendix gives examples of initiatives supported by industry organizations and individual companies.
Reach Out Now National Teach-In Media Package Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration The Reach Out Now National Teach-In media package contains tools that can help engage the media’s support in local Teach-In events. Materials in this kit include a sample press release, sample media advisory, talking points, and sample proclamation.
SAMHSA Model Programs Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration The SAMHSA Model Programs featured on this site have been tested in communities, schools, social service organizations, and workplaces across America, and have provided solid proof that they have prevented or reduced substance abuse and other related high-risk behaviors.
Sober Truth On Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act U.S. Congress This Act states that the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, with input and collaboration from other appropriate Federal agencies, States; Indian tribes; territories; and public health, consumer, and alcohol beverage industry groups, annually issue a `report card' to accurately rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking. The report card shall include ratings on outcome measures for categories related to the prevalence of underage drinking in each State.
The NHSDA Report: Binge Drinking Among Underage Persons Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration The 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) questioned more than 70,000 persons aged 12 or older nationwide, including almost 35,000 persons aged 12 to 20, regarding their frequency and quantity of drinking or use of any illicit drug during the month before the survey. Binge drinking was defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
The NSDUH Report: Underage Drinking in Rural Areas Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Studies show that underage persons (aged 20 or below) in rural areas use alcohol at rates similar to or higher than underage persons in urban areas. However, little research has focused on how this pattern varies across geographic and demographic subgroups. This report presents comparisons from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on the prevalence of any past month and binge alcohol use among persons aged 12 to 20 who lived in rural and nonrural areas.
Underage Alcohol Use and Risks Federal Trade Commission In 1998, about one-quarter of surveyed 8th graders, two-fifths of 10th graders, and half of all 12th graders reported use of alcohol one or more times in the past month. This report provides incidence rates and trends, and and explanation of the risks associated with underage drinking.
Underage Drinking Prevention Action Guide and Planner Center for Substance Abuse Prevention In its ongoing effort to assist community-based organizations in understanding and effectively addressing the issues surrounding underage drinking, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through its Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), introduces the Underage Drinking Prevention Action Guide and Planner. This Action Guide is intended to help communities create programs to prevent the tragedies that underage drinking can cause. It's an issue that demands our attention and action! The solution lies at the grassroots level where all members of a community can work together to create healthy environments.
Underage Drinking: A Growing Healthcare Concern National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Preventing underage drinking continues to be central to the mission of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAAA supports research aimed at developing early intervention approaches that will prevent alcohol problems among youth, especially those between ages 12 and 20. Helping people understand the significance of this problem is an important component of this initiative. This report describes the scope of underage drinking today, including the most harmful consequences, as well as prevention and treatment approaches that are proving particularly effective in meeting the needs of this age group.
Use by Parent and Parent’s Acceptance of Other People’s Use Office of National Drug Control Policy This article explains that the parents’ or caregivers’ use or abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs significantly increases the youth’s chances of using, using early, and being dependent on the substance. Furthermore, encouraging or ignoring the youth’s use of alcohol and drugs significantly increases their use.
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