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Youth Not Napping on Underage Drinking Issue in Napa

Youth-driven and youth-led Town Hall Meetings conducted by California Friday Night Live (FNL) chapters have been important to the success of many community-based initiatives to reduce underage drinking.

The Napa County FNL efforts are a great example of the positive changes that can result from the Town Hall Meeting process. Napa FNL youth members, after spending a year assessing alcohol availability in their community and developing policy recommendations, conducted a Town Hall Meeting where they successfully engaged local policymakers in moving forward with a local social host ordinance. Three members of the Board of Supervisors, a district attorney, the county sheriff, the county superintendent of schools, and the county alcohol and drug administrator attended. Before the meeting, the youth leaders had generated support through individual visits to these officials. At the Town Hall Meeting, the youth presented their data on the availability of alcohol to minors and about Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies* (TRACE). Adult attendees were invited to sign a pledge to not provide alcohol to minors.

After Napa County enacted its social host ordinance, FNL youth have been promoting awareness of the ordinance in order to shift community norms on providing alcohol to minors. The youth-led group also intends to support responsible beverage service training for all stores that sell liquor.

* TRACE is a California State protocol that requires first responders to alcohol-related emergencies to immediately notify Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) when an incident involves a person under 21 and an alcoholic beverage. ABC investigators then simultaneously investigate to determine where the alcoholic beverages were acquired, purchased, or served.

Learn more about social host laws (PDF 41 KB) and responsible beverage service (PDF 85 KB).


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