Contact information:
Laurie Leiber, 415-456-5692
Amon Rappaport, 415-456-5692

New “Roadmap” Has Solutions to Community Alcohol Problems, Straightforward Strategies for Effective Prevention

SAN RAFAEL, CA, May 24 - Alcohol-related problems often make headlines--from DUI crashes, and underage binge drinking deaths to drunken violence at sporting events--but solutions rarely make the news. A new guide from the Marin Institute, “Solutions to Community Alcohol Problems: A Roadmap for Environmental Prevention,” offers a practical menu of concrete steps that communities can take to reduce alcohol problems.

“Like any other health or safety concern, alcohol-related problems are shaped by the community in which they occur,” says Mark Pertschuk, Executive Director of the Marin Institute. “We published ‘Solutions’ to help communities address the whole range of factors that contribute to alcohol problems--not just individual behavior.”

The guide helps those working to reduce alcohol-related problems understand the influence of four key areas--community norms, access and availability, media messages, and policy and enforcement--and focus prevention efforts in the right place. The illustrated booklet includes a pullout “roadmap” summarizing these areas and practical solutions, like limiting alcohol advertising and sales at community events, and holding adults accountable for providing alcohol to underage youth. Many options focus on changing the ways in which alcohol is promoted, sold and consumed.

One of the six case studies included in the guide explains how the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) obtained pledges from 50 local alcohol outlets to refrain from promotions--like “ladies nights” or “50 cent shots”--that encourage high-risk drinking. This is one of the changes that helped UNL dramatically decrease student binge drinking.

Despite the guide’s down-to-earth format, “Solutions” is thoroughly grounded in research showing the effectiveness of community-level prevention efforts. “We created a tool any concerned community member can use,” says Pertschuk. “The content of ‘Solutions’ is science-based, but you don’t have to be a scientist to use it.”

The Marin Institute is promoting and distributing “Solutions” to public health and safety practitioners, community advocates, elected officials, foundation leaders and the media. Three members of the Institute staff are available to speak about “Solutions” and strategies communities are using to address alcohol problems when and where they are most likely to occur, such as:

- Prom, high school graduation and other underage drinking party occasions
- County fairs, street festivals and holidays like Memorial Day and July 4th
- Sporting events where alcohol flows freely
- Bars, liquor stores, mini-marts and other places where alcohol is sold

Spokespeople Available:

Mark Pertschuk, J.D
Pertschuk is the former Executive Director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR) where he initiated and ran a national, grassroots campaign to ban smoking on commercial airline flights in the United States. He can comment on how the lessons of the tobacco wars are being used to fight Big Alcohol.

Amon Hoang-Rappaport, M.A., Director of Communications
At the Marin Institute, Hoang-Rappaport has exposed Coors’ use of a PG-13 film to promote beer, challenged print and broadcast alcohol ad campaigns that appeal to youth, and built the leading Web site in the alcohol policy field. Amon previously served in the Social Marketing practice of Porter Novelli, where he was responsible for media relations and grassroots advocacy on youth-focused public health programs, including the “truth” anti-tobacco campaign.

Laurie Leiber, M.P.H., Director of Media Advocacy
A longtime alcohol industry watchdog, Leiber has planned and executed successful national campaigns--including “Hands Off Halloween”--to promote awareness of alcohol industry efforts to target youth through advertising and promotions. Her often-cited 1996 survey of school children showed that 9 -11 year-olds were more familiar with the Budweiser frogs than Smokey Bear or Tony the Tiger. Since coming to the Marin Institute, Leiber created “TalkBack,” a Web-based system that allows consumers to file complaints about alcohol advertising.

The Marin Institute is an alcohol industry watchdog and resource
for solutions to community alcohol problems.

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