As a concerned citizen, you may be a private citizen or a member of business, faith-based, or other community groups. You recognize that children draw conclusions about alcohol use from what they see and hear in their families and communities. Alcohol use is often portrayed as a regular feature of leisure activities, and children see ads and billboards not only reinforcing that concept but often specifically targeting underage drinkers. Children may also attend local or family-focused events, which are sponsored by alcohol companies or for which drinking alcohol is part of the customary procedures of the event (e.g., weddings and other social gatherings). In these ways, society tells children that alcohol use is accepted, expected, and even essential to having a good time.
As a concerned citizen, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you know how easily children in your community can obtain alcohol and what prevention methods communities can adopt to prevent underage alcohol access?
- Does your community have educational and prevention programs and policies designed to prevent underage drinking?
- Does your community have "alcohol-free" events? If not, do you know how to initiate them?
- Are public and private schools, community businesses, and local government and law enforcement institutions working together to develop and enforce policies related to underage alcohol use?
If you own or manage a business or community group, ask yourself these questions:
- Is your business or community group involved with alcohol prevention programs in your community?
- Does your business or community group have a written policy concerning the use of alcohol by your employees or members?
- Are you aware of specific programs offered to employees and families in the workplace, or members of social groups, that address alcohol use prevention?
- Do you and your employees know about community programs that address alcohol use prevention?
- Do members of your faith-based or other social groups know about community programs that address alcohol use prevention?
First Steps For You
The suggestions below are good first steps to begin an underage alcohol prevention campaign in your community.
- Place underage alcohol use on agendas for PTA, local government, faith group, service club, and other community group and organization meetings.
- Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers. Ask them to print articles about the dangers of early alcohol use.
- Contact elected and appointed officials at local and State levels to inform them about the problem and what can be done to solve it.
- Increase support for consistent enforcement of existing underage drinking laws in your community.
- Encourage your schools to adopt constructive alcohol policies and prevention programs.
- Talk to teachers, counselors, school administrators, and school board members to make sure that school prevention programs put equal emphasis on alcohol and illicit drug use.
- Start public discussions about alcohol use by the children in your community with a focus on the messages your community is sending.
- Involve young people in your community’s existing prevention efforts.
- Support recreational alternatives to drinking and provide alcohol-free parties or events for young people.
- Encourage parents to learn about their responsibilities regarding alcohol access and service to children and adolescents in their homes.
- Talk to your children about the dangers of early alcohol use. Encourage friends and neighbors to talk to their children.
- Ask your health care provider to discuss alcohol use during your children’s annual physicals.
