SAMHSA Announces 2016 Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking
12/14/2015
Host a Meeting. Support a Meeting.
Invitations to Register for a Planning Stipend Will Be Sent on January 21.
Join the Underage Drinking Prevention Online Conversation by Using #CommunitiesTalk.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), together with the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) and other national partners, will sponsor the sixth round of Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking in 2016.
Since 2006, the initiative has increased public awareness of underage and high-risk drinking and mobilized communities to take evidence-based actions at local, state, and national levels.
Town Hall Meetings are working. In 2014, nearly half (48 percent) of organizers reported they planned to follow up their events by developing an underage drinking prevention strategy, and well over three-quarters of participants (83 percent) reported they gained new knowledge about underage drinking prevention.
We are confident that with your help, Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking will contribute to further declines in underage drinking. When communities talk, prevention is possible.
Start Your Planning Now
E-mail invitations to request a $500 SAMHSA planning stipend will be sent to federal grantees, organizations identified by the National Prevention Network and other national partners on Thursday, January 21.
A limited number of planning stipends will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so plan to register early to ensure your best chance of receiving one.
What’s New in 2016?
- Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking will focus on engaging all members of communities—including youth and leaders of colleges and universities—in talking about the consequences of underage drinking. The addition of the words “Communities Talk” to the “Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking” name places new emphasis on the initiative’s focus on community dialogue and mobilizing around evidence-based actions.
- Join the online conversation on underage drinking prevention by using social media and #CommunitiesTalk in 2016.
- Visit the website for information about how to get started planning your event. In January, there will be new resources to making planning, hosting, and evaluating an event even easier. Several national events are also in the works to increase awareness of the initiative. Stay tuned for more information on how to participate.
Get involved today. Host a meeting or support a meeting. For more information, read the Getting Started and Tips and Resources section of the Town Hall Meetings website, email info@stopalcoholabuse.net, or call toll-free 1–866–419–2514.
Resources to Support Prevention Efforts
New Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking Released The 2015 Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking is now available on stopalcoholabuse.gov. The report discusses the prevalence and nature of underage drinking and the national efforts and best practices to address the problem.
Seasonal Drinking and Driving Prevention Resources Available Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a number of new resources during National Impaired Driving Prevention Month that focus on preventing drunk driving during the holiday season, when drivers need to be reminded that drinking even a little can be dangerous. NHTSA’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” begins on December 16, 2015.
Underage Drinking Snowballs During December December is one of the top months in which 12- to 17-year-olds decide to try alcohol for the first time. SAMHSA's “Talk. They Hear You.” underage drinking prevention campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early about the dangers of alcohol. Share this infographic and tips on how parents can start a conversation today.