StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov is a comprehensive portal of Federal resources for information on underage drinking and ideas for combating this issue. Community members interested in underage drinking prevention—including but not limited to parents, educators, youth, concerned citizens, prevention specialists, business leaders, law enforcement and public health officials—will find a wealth of valuable information here. The resources featured to the right are among the many useful materials available on this site to aid your underage drinking prevention efforts.
NIAAA Web Site Presents Information on Underage Drinking Policies
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) operates the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) Web site to present information on 10 policy topics that are particularly relevant to underage drinking. Although these topics are classified under several different headings on the APIS Policy Topics Index page, all of the topics that relate to underage drinking can be accessed from this page using the vertical navigation bar on the right side of the screen.
The fourth annual national Drug-Free Work Week observance―a public awareness campaign that highlights the importance of being drug-free for workplace safety and also encourages workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help―is fast approaching. This year, the campaign is offering a new initiative for communities to address Drug-Free Work Week. In addition, a Webinar entitled WORKING to Prevent Underage Drinking: Workplace is the Key is scheduled for October 20, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EDT), to encourage the adoption of drug-free workplace programs that not only make workplaces safer, but also help prevent underage drinking.
Drug-Free Work Week is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), a member of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking.
Quick Quiz Widget
Ready for a challenge? The Quick Quiz widget is an interactive and periodically changing feature that tests users’ knowledge on underage drinking. It is generated from the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking’s research findings. The questions and answers are intended to stimulate discussions about preventing and reducing underage drinking among parents, educators, community-based organizations, and youth.
There is no cost to maintain the widget and very little time is required to copy it and share it with others. Test your knowledge today!
A Developmental Perspective on Underage Alcohol Use
This Alcohol Alert, by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, examines the complex relationship between underage drinking and development: how developmental factors influence drinking, the social and physical consequences of alcohol use, and how various developmental stages can be specifically targeted to design more effective measures for preventing or treating underage drinking.
National Red Ribbon Week—October 23-31, 2009 Make Underage Drinking Prevention a Priority for Your Community.
Red Ribbon Week, a national drug prevention observance reaching millions of youth, is almost here. There are countless opportunities for organizations such as yours to participate and conduct activities that raise awareness about the tragic consequences of underage alcohol use. Help prevent underage drinking today and encourage youth to live a healthy, alcohol-free lifestyle.
Underage drinking prevention materials to support the 2009 Red Ribbon Week observance are available.
Underage Alcohol Use Continues to Decline
The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, shows the current rate of alcohol use dropped among youth aged 12 to 17 years, from 28.8 percent in 2002 to 26.4 percent in 2008. More good news in the survey findings: among people aged 12 to 20, both past month use of alcohol and binge drinking have fallen since 2002. The survey is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco among persons aged 12 and older in the United States. View the latest findings on underage alcohol use here.
We Don’t Serve Teens Launches New Underage Drinking Prevention Activities
The Federal Trade Commission will launch a new round of We Don’t Serve Teens (WDST) activities during September 2009 with new point of sale materials and radio ads, encouraging partners to speak out in support of WDST messages to help reduce underage access to alcohol.
What can you do to help? Use the free materials available on www.DontServeTeens.gov to reduce underage drinking in your community.
Prevention Program Helps Teens Override a Gene Linked to Risky Behavior
Researchers have found that a family-based substance abuse prevention program is especially effective in helping young teens with a genetic risk factor contributing to risky behavior. The study, supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, monitored the progress of 11-year-olds carrying a gene associated with impulsivity, low self-control, binge drinking, and substance abuse. Tweens who participated in the program were less likely to engage in these risky behaviors than those in the comparison group.
“The findings underscore that ‘nurture’ can influence ‘nature’ during adolescence, a pivotal time when delaying the start of alcohol consumption and other risky behaviors can have a significant impact on healthy child development,” says NIAAA Acting Director Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D. “This study is one of the first to combine prevention research with a
gene-environment study design.”
TSTS Newsroom and Widget: Save Time, Stay Informed, Share
The In the News newsroom, now featured on the Too Smart To Start (TSTS) home page, keeps individuals and organizations informed with the latest news on underage drinking. Sponsored by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), the newsroom is updated regularly with local, State, and national articles published by online sources. Sources include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and its key partners, mainstream media, government agencies, and other reputable producers of news content. The newsroom features an archive for retrieval of past articles and a searchable database to make finding articles easier.
The 2009 Reach Out Now materials, developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in collaboration with Scholastic Inc., are available online to view and download. Reach Out Now provides school-based underage alcohol use prevention materials for fifth- and sixth-grade students, their families, and their teachers. These underage drinking prevention classroom materials feature lessons and worksheets, an interactive wall poster, bonus skill-building activity worksheets, and family activity pages.
Underage Drinking Prevention Town Hall Meetings
State/Territory Profiles Now Available
Last year, every State, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories participated in Town Hall Meetings (THMs) to help prevent and reduce underage drinking. Altogether, more than 1,600 community-based organizations (CBOs) held a THM as part of this national effort. Meeting summaries for individual States and Territories are now available.
Posted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the profiles are based on feedback from 86 percent of the CBOs. Tables, charts, and graphs present information on participation by youth and adults, number of meetings, communities where meetings were held, and highlights of events. Major actions resulting from the efforts of local communities include discussions and follow-up meetings as well as plans for legislation, THMs and future events, and other activities.
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: What It Means to You: A Guide for Families.
Available to order or download (PDF - 899 KB)
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