Alcohol News April 2004
Friday, April 30, 2004
Town fights underage drinking
Monroe Courier, CT, April 30, 2004
In an effort to curb alcohol consumption by minors, local and state officials are joining forces to pass an ordinance designed to aid them in the quest.
Members of Alcohol and Drug Awareness of Monroe (A.D.A.M.) and other officials recently proposed adoption of the ordinance during a forum at Town Hall. The purpose of the ordinance is to reduce the number of "house parties" where underage drinking takes place by raising awareness of the issue.
Consequences for supplying alcohol to minors would include, for a first offense, a fine of $500 or imprisonment for one year, or both, or 180 hours of community service.
Gary Najarian, program manager of the Connecticut Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking, said passing the ordinance would help increase enforcement and accountability for adults who host house parties and youths in possession of alcohol. He said findings from a survey completed by the coalition conclude that youth believe alcohol is "amazingly" easy to obtain from friends, parents and sales outlets, even though it is illegal to sell or provide it to them.
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Ordinances against hosting underage drinking parties
America's 'legal drug' claims teens' lives
Kentucky Post, KY, April 30, 2004
...alcohol continues to be the No. 1 drug of choice among our youth. As the "legal drug," alcohol is often considered benign by most adults. The attitude seems to be, "As long as my kids drink at home or don't drink and drive, what's the big deal?"
Here's the big deal: Alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10 to 24. Those causes are automobile crashes, youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries.
Over the past two decades, scientific research has revolutionized our understanding of how drugs affect the brain. We now know that prolonged, repeated drug and alcohol use can result in fundamental, long-lasting changes in brain structure and functioning, according to Dr. Robert Morse, chairman of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Medical/Scientific Committee and recently retired from the world-famous Mayo Clinic where he was director of addictive disorders.
While the issue of underage drinking is a complex problem, one which can only be solved through a sustained and cooperative effort engaging parents, schools, community leaders and the children themselves, there are three areas which have proven to be effective in prevention of underage drinking: Curtailing the availability of alcohol, consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations, and changing norms and behaviors through education.
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The physiological effects of alcohol on Adolescents
How man behind Boston Miracle cut under-age drinking
The Times, April 29, 2004
When Paul Evans was Police Commissioner in Boston, Massachusetts, he reduced under-age drinking with a policy of imposed “alcohol-free zones” and “party patrols”.
The city’s murder rate was reduced by two thirds in the decade he was in charge. One focus of his community policing approach was a purge on under-age drinking.
Under Mr. Evans, Boston’s police worked closely with the universities and community groups to rein in the student drinkers. The police stepped up sting operations against liquor stores that sold alcohol to under-age drinkers. At the same time officers made joint “party patrols” with university officials to trawl the surrounding streets for under-age students who were drunk. The police also encourage the colleges to control drinking on campus.
As a result, Northeastern University now offers a non-alcoholic version of the popular student drinking game “beer pong”, in which students throw ping-pong balls into plastic tumblers of beer, which the losers must then drink. In the university’s approved version, the tumblers contain only non-alcoholic root beer.
Boston introduced “alcohol-free zones” at major gatherings, such as the annual concert near the Charles River to celebrate American Independence Day on July 4.
To limit binge drinking on New Year’s Eve, the city also organised a “first night” celebration with a series of public events at which alcohol is not served.
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Thursday, April 29, 2004
America's No. 1 drug problem among young people continues to be alcohol use
Kentucky Post, KY, April 28, 2004
A recent survey of Northern Kentucky schools conducted by the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati found that 37 percent of 9th graders and 56 percent of high school seniors reported to have used alcohol in the past month. The study also reported that about 85 percent of local students say they could get alcohol fairly easily.
Curbing alcohol use among teens -- the No. 1 drug problem among youth -- is a critical issue. According to the National Academy of Science, teen drinking cost $53 billion a year, including $19 billion for traffic accidents.
In addition to state laws that set a minimum age at which young people can drink legally and efforts at enforcement, local officials are taking steps. Campbell County Fiscal Court last year approved a countywide "keg law," which makes it illegal for adults to allow alcohol to be served to minors while on the adults' property. First-time offenders face fines of up to $250 and a jail time of up to 90 days. Repeat offenders could pay $500 and go to jail for a year.
Youth too are tackling underage drinking. At Covington's Holmes Junior and Senior High schools, students have formed Youth Out Front, a student advocacy group and extracurricular club, that uses drama to send the message to teens and parents that illegal drug use, including alcohol by minors, is never OK.
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City looks to rein in liquor stores
Oakland Tribune, CA, April 29, 2004
The Oakland City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday endorsed calls for a liquor license moratorium after a survey by the city attorney's Neighborhood Law Corps found that a third of Oakland's 359 liquor stores have been the subject of numerous complaints.
"Where there are liquor stores, there is more crime, lower economic development and higher rates of alcoholism," said Councilmember Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary). "It is compounded by the poverty you find in the flatlands of Oakland, and the pathologies play out."
The survey -- presented in the form of a report card listing each store as "good, bad or ugly" -- also found Oakland has too many liquor stores for its population under state law. Many were "grandfathered in" after the state Legislature tightened liquor store restrictions in 1994.
"We're recommending that the council send a clear message that we've had enough when it comes to liquor stores," said Alex Nguyen, the director of the Neighborhood Law Corps.
If approved by the council, residents will have until June 5 to weigh in on the report card and liquor stores in their neighborhoods.
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Learn more on the relationship between alcohol outlet density and underage drinking
Pressing the message
Hamilton Wenham Chronicle, MA, April 28, 2004
"I think [underage drinking] is a major problem in our community," said Laura Blanchard, unblinkingly. "And I think access to alcohol is the biggest problem. It's so easy for kids to get and, especially in our towns, a huge way to get alcohol is at parties."
To help minimize that problem among young people, MADD hosted a Youth Summit at the end of March. During that three-day event, nearly 100 youth representatives from high schools across the state, including Blanchard, volunteered to convene in a Waltham hotel to hear guests speakers on the subject of underage drinking and, afterward, to develop a list of 10 ways in which the problem can be legislatively addressed.
Students at the summit nailed down their positions and, last week, brought them to state legislators right where they work.
"I'm presenting a recommendation about a law that would say you have to be 21 to sell and serve alcohol," said Blanchard, who noted the current minimum age is 18. "You shouldn't be able to sell or serve as an 18-year-old if you're not allowed to drink until you're 21. It sends the wrong message."
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Wednesday, April 28, 2004
The drinks trolleys raise questions
Boston Globe, MA, April 28, 2004
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has given advertisers the right to wrap its Green Line trains in dramatic designs touting their products, in what has become an important generator of revenue for the financially strapped authority. But the very visible presence of T cars blanketed with liquor promotions traveling through areas of heavy student population has set off concern among some riders and officials.
Councilor Jerry P. McDermott says the ads are irresponsible, especially because of the riots after the Super Bowl and a Red Sox playoff game last October, and he wants to ban them. McDermott has asked for a hearing with MBTA officials and public health advocates to discuss a ban.
"Why are we pushing booze on trains that go right through the college areas?" McDermott asked. "I have the right to ask that question. We need to change the culture and change the attitude."
Some large public transportation systems in other cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, prohibit liquor advertisements. A number of other cities are considering the idea, according to George Hacker, director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
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Mount Vernon eyes alcohol ban in parks
Skagit Valley Herald, WA, April 27, 2004
The Highland Games in the summer and Brewfest in downtown Mount Vernon dish out plenty of games, entertainment and a generous helping of alcohol. But what happens if someone leaves a city function after drinking and gets into a car accident? Who's responsible? Mayor Bud Norris says it could be the city that takes the brunt of the responsibility.
Norris wants the City Council to consider a new policy that would ban or severely restrict the serving of alcohol in city parks. The council will discuss a new alcohol policy at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, at the Police and Court Campus, 1805 Continental Place.
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PACE national director speaks on campus
Badger Herald, WI, April 28, 2004
The national program director of “A Matter of Degree,” which includes the University of Wisconsin Policy Alternatives Community Education (PACE) project, met with various undergraduate classes Tuesday to speak about issues surrounding the alcohol industry.
Dr. Richard Yoast, also the director of the American Medical Association Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, said the project is designed to reduce the harmful effects drinking has on students and surrounding communities.
According to Jonathan Zarov, UW communications manager for PACE and University Health Services, PACE mainly attempts to change various policies that involve drinking. The organization most recently attempted to limit drink specials in Madison bars.
To do this, Zarov said PACE is currently working on four initiatives. Those are limiting access to cheap alcohol, changing student expectations toward drinking, fixing problems created by house parties and improving parental involvement. “The key difference between what you might expect is that there really is a policy focus instead of just brochures to students,” Zarov said. “We don’t think that works very well.”
“Students have been trained to think about drinking as a right,” Yoast said. “This project wants to change how we think about alcohol.”
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Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Most in State Expect Some Tax Increases
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 25, 2004
Higher levies on alcohol, tobacco and the wealthy are favored to help close the state's budget gap.
With the state mired in a budget crisis for the fourth year in a row, most Californians support raising taxes and expect Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to adopt that approach, a new Los Angeles Times poll has found.
Nearly four out of five Californians back higher taxes on cigarettes, and, by the same ratio, alcoholic beverages.
"I don't have a need for alcohol and tobacco, and to be honest, I don't look at them as particularly healthy substances," a Murrieta pest control manager, Michael Johnson said. "Since it is a vice, I think it would be a good area to hit a little harder with taxes."
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State volleyball bidding war
Pantagraph, IL, April 26, 2004
BLOOMINGTON -- In a bid to remain host of the Class A and AA high school girls state volleyball tournaments, Redbird Arena won't have to look far to see at least one of its competitors.
Organizers of Bloomington's yet-to-be-built downtown arena plan to bid on the tournaments, which have called Illinois State their home since 1990.
...Another criterion for tournament hosts is what steps they will take to eliminate signs advertising alcohol. "We don't ever want to be seen as an organization that wants to promote alcohol and tobacco use," Holman said. "I think we need to be an example setter."
Holman concedes alcohol advertising can be a major source of income for arenas so changing a sign to something like "drink responsibly" might be a doable compromise. "We don't ask them to lose money, but we don't want them to make money on our backs and promote those things to our students," he said.
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Monday, April 26, 2004
400 t-shirts confiscated in Public Safety bust
Daily Princetonian, NJ, April 26, 2004
Public Safety officers entered a 1901 Hall room on Friday and confiscated nearly 400 Newman's Day shirts, University officials and students who were there said.
Following the instructions of Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan, two Public Safety officers entered the room around 3 p.m. Friday and brought the shirts to Deignan's office.
The development came after a week of national attention on the Newman's Day tradition - held Saturday - in which some students try to drink 24 beers in 24 hours. The lawyer of actor Paul Newman, whose son died of a drug overdose, recently asked the University to take measures to stop the tradition.
...Deignan said the shirts were confiscated because "they were advertising a very dangerous drinking game that the University has been clear it does not support."
University alcohol policy states that violations occur "when serving of alcohol encourages excessive drinking (e.g. drinking games)."
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Town prepares to go alcohol-free
Burlington Union, MA, April 22, 2004
A kick-off ceremony for an alcohol-free weekend will be held on the Burlington common on Friday, April 30. The event is sponsored by the Burlington Drug and Alcohol Task Force. Community members will be asked to take a pledge to stay alcohol-free for the weekend lasting through May 2.
On April 7, a meeting was held between task force co-chairpersons Charlie Franich and Belmonte, Police Chief Fran Hart, Selectman Kevin McKelvey and Burlington liquor vendors. An alliance was formed with the liquor selling establishments in town. "We were very pleased by the attendance of so many liquor merchants. There was a healthy exchange of ideas to help reduce underage drinking," said Franich.
...Another message the task force hopes to get across is that a weekend doesn't equal drinking. Belmonte believes that through advertising and commercials, kids are getting the message that weekends equal alcohol, equal fun.
When asked if an alcohol-free weekend was a realistic message Belmonte replied, "We are not anti-alcohol and have no desire to make Burlington a dry town. Our goal is to try and reduce underage drinking and substance abuse. We feel that our children grow up with a lot of pro-alcohol messages, especially in advertising. One evening I counted five beer commercials in a row at a reasonable hour during teen-appropriate television shows. If you look at the statistics for teen music radio stations and you look at the advertising that's done between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. on those stations, it's all beer and wine cooler type of commercials. There is no question the alcohol industry is targeting our youth.
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Friday, April 23, 2004
CAMY Study boosts lawsuits over alcohol ads
Washington Times, April 22, 2004
A study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) targeting the effect of the alcohol industry's television advertising on youth is adding fuel to lawsuits blaming underage drinking on the $116 billion industry.
Several class-action lawsuits, touted as the next tobacco litigation, have been filed recently against alcoholic-beverage companies, such as Coors Brewing Co., Bacardi & Co. Ltd. and Heineken NV, saying they market to underage consumers...
Washington public-health advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest said the study gives credence to lawsuits holding the alcohol industry liable for underage drinking.
"This study is another nail in the coffin," said George Hacker, director for the group's alcohol policies project. Mr. Hacker called the alcohol suits "gate openers" for a flood of litigation similar to tobacco lawsuits that resulted in a $246 billion settlement.
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Summaries of the lawsuits against the alcohol industry
Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY)
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Bill would ban those under 21 in lounges
Tuscaloosa News (AL), April 22, 2004
Some bars throughout Alabama could soon have to close their doors to 19- and 20-year-old customers if the Alabama House agrees with the Senate that changes are needed to curb underage drinking.
The Alabama Senate has passed legislation that would wipe out a state law that lets 19-and 20-year-olds enter lounges even though they can’t legally drink liquor. The legislation would require lounges to admit only customers of legal drinking age: 21 and above.
“This is a small step to correct the underage drinking problem," said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Gary Tanner, D-Theodore.
His bill still must pass the House and be signed by the governor before taking effect.
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LETTER: Underage drinking a cause of riot
Iowa State Daily, April 22, 2004
There is no doubt that the Veishea weekend riot was largely fueled by the over consumption of alcohol and underage drinking. Youth & Shelter Services and others have been working hard to promote discussion, education, and legislation to deal with the growing binge drinking problem among our youth.
Maybe now we'll see more thoughtful consideration and wider community participation in addressing this epidemic of alcohol abuse.
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Study on Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol Available to College Students
St. Landry (LA) Liquor Law Remains Same
KLFY-TV, Lafayette, LA, April 20, 2004
In an 8-4 vote, the St. Landry Parish Council decided to leave the current liquor law as is. Bar owners say the current 2:00am closing time is hurting the parish.
St. Landry Parish bar owner Tonia Dupre says she's disappointed in the council's decision to knock down an extension of the sale of liquor.
Dupre says St. Landry Parish bar owners asked for a 24-hour liquor law after Opelousas City Council members allowed bar and club owners within city limits to do the same.
Tuesday, council members voted against an amended version of that proposal, asking for the extension of liquor sales to 4:00 in the morning on weekends and certain holidays.
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Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Teen Shows: Prime Time for Alcohol Ads
Forbes, April 21, 2004
"Kids are being swamped. There was an enormous increase in alcohol ads between 2001 and 2002," said study co-author David Jernigan, research director for the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University. "All of the top shows had alcohol ads. Teenagers were more likely to see ads for beer and other alcohol than for soda pop."
The report, released on the center's Web site Wednesday, found the number of ads for alcohol on local, network and cable television was 39 percent higher in 2002 than in 2001. A total of 289,381 ads for alcoholic beverages ran on TV in 2002.
Spending on alcohol advertising on TV rose dramatically during the one year covered by the report. In 2002, alcohol manufacturers spent $990 million marketing their products on television -- a 22 percent increase over the year before.
Jernigan and his colleagues recommend the alcohol industry adopt the suggestions of the Institute of Medicine and not air alcohol ads on shows with more than a 15 percent teen audience, instead of the industry's current self-regulation of 30 percent. Doing so would only restrict ads from about one in four shows. But, had that suggestion been implemented in 2002, alcohol manufacturers would have had to move more than 61,000 ads.
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More on Alcohol Advertising and Youth
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth
U.Va. Researchers Find Serious Health Consequences Associated With Alcohol And College Students
University of Virginia Health System, April 14, 2004
Alcohol use is an uncommon but significant cause of emergency room visits for college students, according to researchers at the University of Virginia. Their study...concluded that certain categories of college students, like those of legal drinking age, experience serious health consequences due to their misuse or abuse of alcohol. In fact, students 21 and over were more likely to be seen for alcohol-related problems than any other undergraduate age group.
“Since they are of legal age, they have more ready access to alcohol, and therefore are more likely to overindulge,” said Dr. James C. Turner, executive director of the Department of Student Health at U.Va., professor of clinical internal medicine and principal investigator of the study. “In addition, those students who are experiencing serious negative health consequences from drinking likely reach the legal age of 21 but without having any good sense of how to drink responsibly. Unfortunately, many young people of today don't see modeling of responsible alcohol consumption in the media and our alcohol educational efforts in secondary and post-secondary schools have failed to help them establish safe parameters or boundaries for those who engage in drinking.”
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Study on Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol Available to College Students
Teens Investigate Underage Drinking
WXIA-TV, GA, April 20, 2004
Some 90 teenagers in DeKalb County went out with cameras and note pads to investigate how local stores were marketing alcohol, they believe, to people too young to drink. Some of the teenagers said stores that sell alcohol need to keep it away from other products that attract young people.
“Personally, I think that’s horrible. I mean, why are you trying to get us? You have your adults, why are you trying to get us,” said Rashida Smith, one of the teenagers involved in the project.
“Our mission is to raise the awareness about underage alcohol and to work through the community to change the norms of the community as it relates to underage alcohol use,” said Patricia Stokes of the Underage Drinking Task Force.
Joel Hardy, the director of the Georgia Alcohol Policy Partnership said the next step was “to try and build as many partnerships and collaboratives as possible -- all about focusing energy on changing policy statewide and local policy and enforcement strategies that can help reduce the problem of underage drinking.”
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Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Novato woman testifies at state alcohol hearing
Marin Independent Journal, CA, April 20, 2004
A Novato mother, whose son was killed seven months ago by a drunken driving suspect, urged state Assembly members yesterday not to extend drinking hours in San Francisco. She traveled to Sacramento yesterday to testify before an Assembly committee that was considering a bill - introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco - that would extend the closing time of drinking establishments in the city and county of San Francisco from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Leno said the extended hours are needed to bolster San Francisco's ailing bars and restaurants, which have been hit hard by the bursting of the dot-com bubble and terrorism concerns. The bill was sponsored by the San Francisco Entertainment Commission, which helped to arrange for two bus loads of bar owners, bar patrons and disc jockeys to attend the hearing in a show of support.
But the members of the Committee on Governmental Organization weren't convinced. They voted 12-5 against moving the bill out of committee, effectively killing it.
Maureen Sedonaen, director of the San Rafael-based Youth Leadership Institute, and other opponents testified at yesterday's hearing that the extended drinking hours would increase the city's public safety and medical costs, ultimately costing more than they would bring in.
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More on Alcohol and Youth
Monday, April 19, 2004
Nevada Mom Sues Coors Over Son's Death
Fox News, April 18, 2004
Jodie Pisco, of Reno contends Coors has failed in its duty to protect the country's youth from drinking. Her son, Ryan, was killed in 2002 after he drank Coors at a party and drove his girlfriend's car into a light pole at 90 mph, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Washoe County District Court, seeks unspecified damages. It accused Coors of "glorifying a culture of youth, sex and glamour while hiding the dangers of alcohol abuse and addiction."
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Hispanics Urged to Boycott Budweiser
Join Together, April 16, 2004
May 5 With Pride, a Hispanic activist group, is urging a boycott of Budweiser beer during this year's Cinco de Mayo celebrations, saying the brewer is using the holiday to promote alcohol consumption, the Associated Press reported April 8th.
"With their publicity, they want to make us look like drunkards, and use the celebration of our Mexican fiesta as a day for getting drunk," said Albert Melena of May 5 With Pride.
The group and other Hispanic activists have called on the company to stop using the cultural festival in its marketing.
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Cowboy Enterprise: Battle against underage drinkers nets fake IDs
Casper Star Tribune, WY, April 17, 2004
LARAMIE, (AP) -- Every September and January, dozens of thirsty college kids wander into North Ridge Discount Liquors in Laramie and slip a driver's license across the counter.
Their eyes widen a little as the clerk pulls out an identification guide and carefully analyzes the license for anything that looks suspicious. Most underage customers bolt for the door once the identification is exposed as a fake. "We've got quite the reputation for carding and have a zero tolerance policy," said owner Ed Mascarenas.
Since last September, Mascarenas has collected over 60 fake IDs this way. Most are confiscated at the start of each semester, before students realize what they're getting into. "It tapers off quite a bit because you build a reputation for obeying the law," Mascarenas said.
Last year, officers saw an increase both in underage alcohol consumption and in cases where alcohol was furnished to minors. In most incidents, violators were cited under a new ordinance that holds property owners responsible for parties that involve underage drinking.
Police are also exploring the idea of initiating compliance checks at liquor establishments, although the details are still sketchy.
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Underage drinking not a rite of passage
Daily Journal of International Falls, MN, April 13, 2004
Before another unsuspecting high school or college student dies of alcohol poisoning or is mangled in an alcohol related car crash, the gravity of underage drinking needs again to be highlighted. Alcohol is the drug that is most frequently used by American teenagers, but even more so here in Northern Minnesota. It is the drug most likely to be associated with injury or death.
There are still those who dismiss underage drinking as "youthful indiscretion" -- a rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood and many underage drinkers begin in their own homes, supplied by their own parents or other family members. Alcohol is also strongly marketed to underage drinkers and associated with athletic and social events popular with high school and college students. Some establishments are still knowingly serving minors, putting themselves and the underage drinkers at great risk.
There are three areas that have been proven effective in the prevention of underage drinking: curtailing the availability of alcohol, consistent enforcement of laws and regulations and changing behaviors and establishing norms through education and positive role modeling. The alcohol beverage industry also has a responsibility to curtail advertising and marketing those appeals to underage youth.
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Friday, April 16, 2004
Road clear for ban on alcohol in cars
Times Picayune, LA, April 15, 2004
BATON ROUGE -- Ending years of opposition, Louisiana's powerful liquor lobby said Wednesday it will not fight a measure that would prohibit passengers in cars and trucks from drinking alcohol, clearing away the chief obstacle to the bill's passage.
State law prohibits drivers of a vehicle from having open alcoholic beverage containers but lets passengers have them. Supporters of the Chaisson bill say the rules let drinking drivers pass their containers to a passenger if they are stopped. Chaisson's bill extends the open-container ban to all occupants of a vehicle.
Although open containers already are banned in much of the New Orleans area by local governments, enacting a statewide law has long been a priority of groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking. The Highway Safety Commission says nearly half of all roadway crashes in Louisiana are alcohol-related, compared with less than 40 percent nationwide.
If the measure passes, Louisiana would become the 37th state to ban open alcohol containers in vehicles.
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Dibble High parents join prom movement
Oklahoman, OK, April 15, 2004
In response to a growing concern about underage drinking on prom night, parents of high schoolers are hosting an increasing number of drug- and alcohol-free after-prom parties.
This year, Dibble High School parents are following the trend, hosting the school's first official after-prom party at Cleveland County YMCA in Norman from 11:30 p.m. April 24 to 6 a.m. April 25. All-night festivities include swimming, hypnotism, inflatable games, a Velcro wall, movies, basketball, prizes, food and nonalcoholic drinks -- all free to prom-goers, Dibble prom sponsor Sharla Culwell said.
"Usually, there's somebody that has a party after prom and it involves underage drinking," said Sharon Slabaugh, whose son, Tyler, is a junior at Dibble. "We just wanted to provide them with a safe alternative ... and to keep them from peer pressure."
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Free Guide Provides Essential Information on the Effects of Early Alcohol Use by Children
HispanicBusiness.com, February 23, 2004
Washington, DC.,--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)-- Childhood drinking is a serious problem in the United States. Two in five ninth graders say they had an alcoholic drink before they were 13 and more than one in five eighth graders has been drunk at least once. Now there is a guide for parents, teachers and community members that explains the effects of early alcohol use. Created by the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, the guide is available in English and Spanish online at www.alcoholfreechildren.org in a PDF or HTML format. It also can be ordered from the Leaderships website.
The user-friendly guide, How Does Alcohol Affect the World of a Child?, provides startling statistics about underage drinking. It gives facts about the effects of childhood drinking on the family, child, community and school, and its impact on childrens health and safety, as well as society. The guide also provides results from surveys and polls that gauge childrens feelings on drinking and their access to alcohol. One study finds that 68 percent of eighth graders and 85 percent of tenth graders believe that alcohol is readily available to them for consumption.
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Thursday, April 15, 2004
Keep booze out of hands of minors
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI, April 14, 2004
... as a community, (we) must do more to confront the issue of underage drinking...
...the responsibility needs to be shared, and Alcohol Awareness Month during April is a good time to put the spotlight on this serious issue. The Substance Abuse Council invites area residents to participate in the Calhoun County Underage Drinking Prevention Forum. The forum seeks to prevent underage drinking through three channels: curtailing the availability of alcohol; consistent enforcement of laws and regulations dealing with teens and drinking; and educating both children and adults to change some of the social norms and behavior that have made drinking more acceptable.
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Alcohol use and victimization among college women
Medical News Today, April 14, 2004
When parents send their daughters off to college, few think they may return home as victims. Yet roughly 10 percent of women have experienced an attempted or completed rape during their first year at an American college and, often, alcohol is involved. This association is reinforced by findings published in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"This is the first study to look at daily drinking and both sexual and nonsexual victimization experiences using a sample of college women during a number of weeks," said Kathleen A. Parks, senior research scientist at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions and first author of the study. "...We found that on days when women drank, particularly when they consumed alcohol heavily, they were at a much greater likelihood of experiencing both sexual and nonsexual victimization."
"And it's not just sexual assault," R. Lorraine Collins, also a senior research scientist at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions, said, "alcohol use is associated with lots of different types of aggression. For example, male-on-male aggression increases in bar settings, there is a relationship between alcohol use and criminal activity, and violence against spouses is also associated with alcohol use. However, research should never be dismissed as just 'common sense.' A lot of things that appear to be 'commonsensical' are not based on data, and one of the things that we really need in order to shape policy and to really understand what's going on is data.
Both Parks and Collins acknowledged that the environment also plays a role in risk for victimization.
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More on Alcohol and Women
Study on Correlates of Rape while Intoxicated
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Student tailgating space considered
Iowa State Daily, IA, April 13, 2004
A trio of students, led by Government of the Student Body President Mike Banasiak, left a meeting with school officials Monday with a plan to obtain a general public parking space near the stadium. While the space will be open to anyone at first, Banasiak said GSB will continue working with administration until Lot S-4 becomes students-only.
The administration has no control over general public parking, so alcohol will be allowed within the space Banasiak plans to use .
The Student Gameday Experience Committee, a GSB initiative which has tried to find a solution to the tailgating problem, has all but finished its work, Banasiak said. The Wednesday meeting he and GSB senators Nick Leitheiser and Dan Christenson attended with administrators was intended to find a compromise. However, he said, debate became bogged down due to issues concerning drinking, security and student well-being.
One of the first major points of contention came when Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill renewed his stance against a student parking area allowing drinking. "Right now I feel very strongly about it," he said. "With at least 50 percent of the student population being not of legal age, that creates a problem for me. And if I'm going to be a responsible administrator, I have to look at that."
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More on College Drinking
Convenience store beer sale bid raises issue of teenage drinking
Henderson Gleaner, KY, April 13, 2004
A West Side convenience store's application to sell packaged beer triggered a lengthy debate Monday about free enterprise versus the problem of teen drinking. Opponents, however, cited the presence of those stores and others as evidence of why the permit should be denied.
Evansville City Councilman Steve Bagbey, who sponsored a City Council resolution opposing the expansion of alcohol sales at convenience stores, spoke against the permit. Bagbey's resolution passed the City Council 8-0. "I have a real problem with the proliferation of alcohol, as I see kids dying," said Bagbey, who is the safety director for Evansville Catholic Schools.
"What concerns me isn't the Master Tire issue, but the increased exposure to alcohol through convenience stores," Sheriff Deputy Kiefer said. "They (local students) tell me it's so easy to get."
William Wooten, Mulberry Center addiction physician and founder of Youth First, cited surveys showing Vanderburgh County exceeds state and national teen drinking levels.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Study: Alcohol as Damaging as Tobacco
Join Together, April 13, 2004
A new World Health Organization (WHO) study concludes that alcohol use is just as damaging to individual health as tobacco use.
Study co-author Jurgen Rehm, an addiction specialist and a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the University of Toronto, said alcohol's risks have been understated because several studies have shown that a drink a day can reduce the risk of heart attacks. As a result, he said, the industry has been able to escape the harsh health warnings associated with cigarettes even though alcohol is an obvious public-health threat.
According to Rehm's study, the health benefits of alcohol use are generally overstated, and are virtually non-existent for young people. "Even small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of injury and boost the chances of developing about 60 diseases, including several cancers, liver cirrhosis, and neurorpsychological disorders," Rehm's report said.
The WHO said the report's findings should serve as a stepping-stone for an international debate about the need to reduce global alcohol consumption.
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Efforts against under-aged drinking, driving heightened
Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, April 12, 2004
Attorney General Bill Lockyer Thursday joined other state law enforcement agencies in unveiling a new investigative protocol to reduce deaths and injuries caused by under-aged drinking by targeting liquor stores, restaurants and bars that serve alcohol to individuals under the age of 21.
"We have seen too many tragedies involving under-aged drinking, and we all must do our part to prevent them," Lockyer said. "This collaborative effort will ensure that law enforcement agencies investigating alcohol-related deaths and injuries will take steps to determine the source of the alcohol, and that businesses that provide liquor to under-aged drinkers will face prosecution and harsh penalties, including the loss of their liquor licenses."
Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies (TRACE) was developed by a task force convened by Lockyer last year after he met Lynne Goodwin and discussed the death of her 20-year-old daughter, Casey. Active in fighting under-aged drinking as a member of Friday Night Live, Casey was killed in March 2003 by an 18-year-old drunk driver.
The task force was charged with developing a protocol for officers investigating alcohol-related incidents involving under-aged drinkers to identify the source of the alcohol. Under the protocol, law enforcement officers will immediately try to determine where the youths obtained or consumed alcohol prior to the event and notify the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) if the alcohol was purchased or consumed at an ABC-licensed business establishment.
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More on the Goodwin Lawsuit
Monday, April 12, 2004
Board stands firm on revoking beer permit of cafe near Sewanee campus
Tullahoma Net, TN, April 10, 2004
SEWANEE - The University of the South may have been labeled by some as a "party school," but a Franklin County Beer Board decision to revoke Shenanigans restaurant's permit sends a message that selling to minors won't be tolerated, according to chairman Karl Smith.
The Beer Board agreed on March 25 to revoke the Sewanee establishment's permit and concurred again Monday in a special meeting called to look further into a controversial issue.
Smith said Friday the Beer Board's objective is to ensure beer is not sold to minors - a problem he deems worse at Sewanee than in other parts of Franklin County. He said revoking Shenanigans' permit could lead toward curbing alcohol sales to minors at Sewanee. "Maybe it's a step in the right direction," he said.
Smith said other beer selling establishments there are bound to take notice and make a stronger effort to check identifications. "Nothing is said until somebody gets killed, then there's a 100 percent turnaround to do something," he said, adding that teenage deaths in Franklin County have been linked to illegal beer sales and consumption.
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Serving youths alcohol may send them into gutter
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, April 9, 2004
During the month of April we highlight the public health issue of underage drinking and its devastating effects on our youths and community.
Alcohol has been and continues to be the most frequently abused drug by youths and is the drug most frequently associated with injury or death. Yet we continue to view underage drinking as a rite of passage.
The alcohol industry continues to strongly market to the underage drinker, most often at athletic and social events popular with high school and college students. How many of our local establishments continue to serve underage drinkers? Media continue to glamorize the use of alcohol. According to a Nielson Media Research report, youths saw more beer and ale advertising in 2001 than they saw ads for gum, cookies, crackers or sneakers.
How can we respond as a society to this devastating public health issue? As a community we can begin to engage in several strategies that have proven effective in the prevention of underage drinking: Curtail the availability of alcohol. Ensure consistent enforcement of laws and regulations. Work to change the societal norms, beliefs and consequently the behaviors that promote or normalize underage drinking.
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Students underestimate how much they drink
AZ Central.com, AZ, April 9, 2004
Alcohol has been a part of college life almost as long as there has been such a thing as higher education. But it's only in the last decade that campus officials have tried to prevent the worst excesses.
Colleges and universities do try to change student behavior through ad campaigns and campus regulations, but critics don't think that's enough. Alcohol, after all, is still served at countless football games and campus pubs, and liquor stores are rarely more than a few minutes walk from most dorm rooms.
Despite various prevention efforts, levels of so-called "binge drinking" haven't changed over the past decade. Some researchers think this may be because students drink more than they think. "When you ask a student how much they drink, the answer they give you is probably a dramatic underestimation," said Aaron White, an assistant research professor at Duke University, who wrote about the findings in a recent study. "They might say they have one beer, but when they pour it's a beer and a half."
As for solutions, Henry Wechsler, director of the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Studies Program, said there has to be a "long-term concentrated effort" to cut down both the supply of alcohol and the demand. Schools can start by targeting liquor sellers and their price cuts, he said, and also by eliminating the drink discounts of happy hour.
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Want to make a difference? Start here.
Study on Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol Available to College Students
House Resolution to Eliminate Alcohol Ads on NCAA Sports Broadcasts
BigAlcohol.com, April 10, 2004
On Thursday, March 25, U.S. Representative Tom Osborne (R-NE), joined by Reps. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), introduced House Resolution 575 in the House of Representatives, calling upon the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to end all alcohol advertising during radio and television broadcasts of college sporting events.
House Resolution 575 urges the NCAA to voluntarily eliminate alcohol ads during radio and television broadcasts of collegiate sports events. That action would affirm universities' commitment to discourage alcohol use among underage students and other young fans.
Alcohol ads appeared twice as often, on average, during NCAA championship broadcasts than during other sports programs, and 16 times as often, on average, than during all television programs. Among the viewers of those alcohol ads were large concentrations of avid fans who are underage college or high school students.
Andy Geiger, athletics director at Ohio State University, thinks "it's inconsistent to…discourage underage drinking and turn around and huckster the stuff on your [college sports] broadcasts." CSPI polling shows that a large majority of Americans agree.
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See the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV
Friday, April 9, 2004
FEDS CLAMP DOWN ON 'LOW CARB' BEER CLAIMS
Advertising Age, April 8, 2004
WASHINGTON-- The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau today set the first requirements in how to use the term "low carb" in marketing for beer and alcohol beverages. The bureau banned even limited health claims in advertising and said it intended to police such claims aggressively.
The agency described today's ruling as an "interim policy," pending more formal and broader policy. Under the ruling, beverages must have below 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving to qualify to be called "low carb." The bureau also defined how the serving size should be calculated, which could affect some brands that have been claiming low-carb status.
Any labeling or advertising statement that implies that consumption of the product has health effects will be evaluated ... and will be considered to be in violation of these regulations if it is false or if it tends to mislead consumers by presenting materially incomplete information about the health effects of alcohol consumption," the bureau said, adding that even humorous ads will get scrutiny.
"Representations that imply that alcohol beverages may be part of a weight maintenance or weight loss plan, or that consumers may drink more of such beverages because of their low calories or carbohydrate content, mislead consumers by presenting incomplete information about the health effects of nutritional content of alcohol beverages," said the ruling.
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See how the Beer Industry Taps into Fitness
Alcoholic beverages banned
Newsday, NY, April 9, 2004
State parks policy has unofficially barred most patrons at the Jones Beach Theater from buying alcoholic beverages since 1988. Yesterday, that policy became official.
Reacting to overtures by the concert promoter at what is now the Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater about resuming alcoholic beverage sales, the state commission that oversees the theater bottled up the idea.
The vote, which came in response to a plea from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, means wine and beer will continue to be available only in a VIP tent, which is not open to the public. Denna Cohen, president of MADD Long Island, said when alcohol was sold, accidents and incidents of rowdy behavior increased significantly. It was unruly behavior that prompted the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to act administratively in 1988.
Myron Blumenfeld, a former commission chairman, said he told parks officials at the time that "we're sending the wrong message. We invite all these people to our wonderful concerts. ... We ask them to drink beer and then drive home."
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Raising Awareness About Underage Drinking
WLUC, MI, April 8, 2004
High school students and the Delta Menominee Health Department are trying to raise awareness about underage drinking. They are kicking off a new green ribbon campaign to coincide with prom and graduation season. Yesterday student volunteers and members of the Escanaba Students Against Drunk Driving group tied on green ribbons. The goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking. Members say parents need to be just as responsible as the students.
Student Eric Dombrowski says, "There are so many accidents, especially with parents buying alcohol for their children, and then the kids make unsafe decisions and ending up taking people's lives who don't deserve that."
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Facts on Alcohol and Youth
Thursday, April 8, 2004
'Stings' to target teen alcohol use
Marin Independent Journal, CA, April 7, 2004
After consulting with the Marin County Office of Education and a raft of local nonprofit organizations, the Department of Health and Human Services came up with the new, more aggressive strategy for curbing alcohol and marijuana use - particularly among minors. The new strategy...is aimed at attacking the easy accessibility and social acceptability of alcohol and marijuana in Marin....
" Alcohol use is the norm in our county today," said Catherine Condon, prevention coordinator for the division of the county's health department that deals with alcohol, drug and tobacco programs. A report she presented during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors contained a slew of statistics gleaned from recent survey results.
Condon said that fewer than half of Marin youths surveyed reported that they are consistently asked for identification when attempting to purchase alcohol. The number of alcohol sales outlets per capita in Marin also exceeds the state average, she said.
Health officials will also try to diminish the acceptability of alcohol use by trying to convince organizations receiving alcohol industry sponsorships to find alternative sponsors. In addition, health officials will conduct media literacy classes at local schools to teach youths how to view alcohol industry ads critically, and will offer training to bar and restaurant workers on how to avoid selling to minors.
Editor's note: Although the newspaper’s headline above emphasizes Marin County’s plans to use so-called “sting” operations to deter alcohol sales to youth, the new prevention plan actually balances such enforcement with other proactive environmental prevention strategies.
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More on Underage Drinking
State is pressed to clamp down on teen drinking
Houston Chronicle, TX, April 6, 2004
Advocates of the tougher restrictions urged the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures to consider measures such as curbing alcohol advertising and restricting border access to Mexico for partying teenagers.
"Education is important, but it is not enough," said Lynda Infante, a senior at Mercedes High School in the Rio Grande Valley.
Infante argued that advertising portrays drinking alcohol as a fun activity with no consequences. She said alcohol advertising should be restricted to minimize the chances that children will have irresponsible attitudes about drinking.
Vanessa Miller, a registered nurse in Dallas, said the state should increase excise taxes on alcohol sales to provide resources to fund children's health and education programs, including alcohol awareness.
The Texas excise tax for beer is $6 per barrel, which works out to 44 cents for a case of 24 bottles of beer, Greinert said. Table wine is taxed at 20 cents a bottle, and hard liquor at $2.40 a gallon.
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Make sure teenagers have a safe and sober spring break
Pasadena Star News, CA, April 7, 2004
Spring is here and, for many young people, that means a week off from school. Popular movies, television specials and cable programming have associated spring break with the beach, excessive drinking, promiscuity, and wild parties.
As celebrations become more prolific, more impaired students engage in behaviors that put their health, and the public's health, and safety at risk.
This spring break is a perfect opportunity for parents, community organizations, businesses and schools to become more involved in promoting fun, safe and memorable experiences.
Alcohol and drug abuse prevention advocates are doing their part by providing teens and young adults with alternative activities to discourage underage, excessive drinking.
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Coors to make run for Senate
The Denver Post, CO, April 8, 2004
Peter Coors, head of the Coors Brewing dynasty, is running for the U.S. Senate, potentially throwing the Republican Party into a high-profile and expensive primary.
Coors, a political novice, and his company have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to political candidates over the years. Since 2000, he and the company have given more than $300,000 to candidates and political committees.
His parents, Holly and Joe Coors, were synonymous with conservative activism in the 1980s, playing a big role in electing Ronald Reagan president and using the family foundation to develop the right-leaning Heritage Foundation. In those days, the beer company was boycotted for years by unions and Hispanics, who accused the company of an anti-labor and anti-minority bent.
Peter Coors is depicted in Dan Baum's family history "Citizen Coors" as the Cornell-trained scion who got an MBA and tried to drag the tradition-bound company into the modern age of marketing.
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See coverage of Coors' co-promotion with Scary Movie 3
Information about Coors' targeting of youth
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Who's monitoring the media?
Union-News, MA, April 6, 2004
...who is monitoring the television and movie screens? That's a good question, according to experts who study the media's portrayal of alcohol and drinking.
"Young adolescents are trying to develop their own identities. You don't know who you are and you don't know where you want to be. Adolescents are very perceptive about their external environment," Sargent said. "They're looking for role models. They're looking for people to emulate. A bigger and bigger part of their world is the media."
"Think about the way drinking is portrayed in the movies. It's portrayed as something fun to do socially. People are having fun. There are usually no bad consequences. People most often have sex after they drink. The movies don't focus on the morbidity that can result from drinking. The reality is not that often depicted," Sargent said. "You have to help them understand that what they're seeing in movies, especially when it comes to drinking and smoking, isn't the real story."
"What we know about youth is they drink the most heavily advertised brands," Linowski said. Linowski said "drink responsibly" and "know when to say when" campaigns aren't the answer because under-age drinkers don't know what it means to drink responsibly or know when to say when. Instead, she said a public health approach needs to be taken to fix the problem.
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More on Alcohol Advertising and Youth
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Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Analysis: College drinking binges on
Washington Times, DC, April 6, 2004
"It is clear that the nation's colleges are collectively concerned about student drinking on their campuses but are quite divided about what programs to put in place to alleviate the problem of heavy and destructive drinking," said Henry Wechsler, director of College Alcohol Studies at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Twenty-one percent said they got funding from the alcohol industry, with Anheuser-Busch leading the way, and 12 percent received money from private foundations. All of this is evidence that colleges and universities are trying, but there is also ample evidence they are failing.
Schools that receive funding from federal or state sources or the alcohol industry are most likely to use education or social norms marketing as their method. "It's possible that the availability of funding for social norms campaigns has influenced many campuses to turn to this approach," Wechsler said. Wechsler said that is unfortunate, because studies show social norms marketing has not been effective.
The study cautions that colleges may want to reconsider prevention initiatives that focus exclusively on demand or supply. "They may also want to examine the extent to which funding is the driving force shaping the direction of their alcohol initiatives," it said.
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More on College Drinking
Want to make a difference? Start here.
Californians Urged to Participate in Free Alcohol Screenings; Study Finds Binge Drinking Prevalent among 18 - 34-Year-Olds
BusinessWire, April 5, 2004
The Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) is urging California residents to take advantage of free alcohol screenings in their community during National Alcohol Screening Day on April 8. National Alcohol Screening Day is designed to raise public awareness about the consequences of at-risk drinking and the effects of alcohol abuse. It is an annual event held throughout California that coincides with National Alcohol Awareness Month. Confidential screenings are conducted statewide by healthcare professionals and if individuals are found to be high-risk they are referred for education or possible treatment.
A recent nationwide study found that binge drinking is prevalent among California youth. The study, published this month in the American Journal of Public Health, is the first of its kind to measure the prevalence of binge drinking in 120 metropolitan U.S. cities. Researchers defined binge drinkers as men who drink five drinks in a row and women who consume four drinks in a row on one occasion. Binge drinkers are typically males between the ages of 18 and 34, the study found.
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More on Alcohol Awareness Month
Study Details Midwest Binge Drinking
Kansas City Star, MO, April 4, 2004
The Quad Cities is listed as No. 6 and Cedar Rapids is listed as No. 7 in binge drinking ratings out of 120 largest U.S. metropolitan areas surveyed in the study released in this month's American Journal of Public Health.
Binge drinking is defined as imbibing five or more alcoholic drinks over a few hours.
More emphasis should be placed on telling the public about the dangers of excessive alcohol use, said Barb Gay, director of prevention services for the Area Substance Abuse Council. "Kids who drink early and drink quite a bit do (often) go on to have substance abuse problems later in life," she said.
The survey, which relied on data provided by states to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focused on those 18 and older, had bad news for the Midwest as a whole. Six of the top 10 metropolitan areas are in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
"In general, I think we give people mixed messages about intoxication," Brewer said. "People often regard getting intoxicated as something not serious." Local drinking ordinances, religious views and perceptions about drinking are all factors in determining binge drinking rates, Brewer said.
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Monday, April 5, 2004
Neighbors battle spread of liquor stores in Oakland
Oakland Tribune, CA, April 5, 2004
When the owner of a grocery-liquor store wrote Mayor Jerry Brown complaining that the new Millsmont Farmers Market was disrupting his business, residents of the neighborhood fought back.
"Basically, we've got to take back our neighborhood," Oakland City Councilmember Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary) said, noting that there are three liquor stores on one block. "This should be a thriving neighborhood, but it's not. One of the reasons is liquor stores."
Mariano Gonzales of the 60th Avenue Home Alert association wondered aloud how liquor store owners can keep selling alcohol, when a poor resident in the area can be banned from public housing for life because a family member had drugs. "Around here, alcohol is the number one drug of choice," he said.
Joan Kiley, director of the Alcohol Policy Network in Berkeley, a nonprofit that examines problems caused by liquor stores and lobbies for legislation, sided with the Seminary-MacArthur neighbors. "Research shows that the more alcohol outlets you have in a neighborhood, you're going to get an increase in crime and nuisances," Kiley said. "And outlets that are not run very well become magnets for crime."
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Family starts program to change attitudes on underage drinking
Green Bay News-Chronicle, WI, April 5, 2004
Scott and Kathy Gille's purpose is to change a community's attitude toward drinking, in particular underage drinking.
The Gilles hope to rally community leaders, local governments and faith congregations to help build a coalition to pursue the common goal of reducing underage drinking in the Luxemburg-Casco School District and beyond. Toward that end, they have launched the Underage Drinking Education/Watch program.
In its infancy, the program's focus is to raise money for more school-sponsored education programs designed to heighten awareness of the dangers of underage drinking. But the Gilles believe education must extend beyond the classroom and into the community. They advocate an underage drinking watch program intended to identify underage drinkers, party locations and adults who allow such parties at their residence.
"As a society, we have to have a change of attitude about alcohol consumption," she said. "Think about the message we send to our kids."
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Vanderbilt not swallowing beer-store idea
Tennessean, TN, April 3, 2004
Student leaders at Vanderbilt thought they had a great idea and certainly a unique one: a campus beer store where meal-plan cards could be used to buy favorite malt beverages.
But the idea was definitely not a hit with administrators, who basically dismissed the notion as nonsense once word of the plan began spreading around campus last week. ''We are an educational institution; we are not in the business of promoting drinking,'' university Vice Chancellor Mark Bandas said in a statement.
Support for the beer store is far from unanimous among students. Some worry that it would make beer easier to get and increase a date-rape problem perceived to be caused by alcohol abuse.
''It would definitely promote underage drinking - as if it's not promoted already,'' freshman Steven Harris said of the beer store.
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Agency gets tougher on youth drinking
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 2, 2004
To raise the visibility of Alcohol Awareness Month in April, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is rolling out a new program that could help sober California's youth by scaring alcohol vendors and making drinks very hard to come by.
A new statewide program calling for an immediate investigation whenever alcohol is found at the scene of an accident involving people younger than 21 will kick off next week, said Mark DeSio, department spokesman.
As part of the Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies program, state investigators will work simultaneously with local law enforcement to identify if and where alcoholic beverages were illegally sold to minors. If a business licensed by the department is found to have provided alcohol to a minor, the department will suspend or revoke its liquor license, DeSio said.
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Friday, April 2, 2004
March Madness: Another Slam Dunk for the Alcohol Industry?
Dwayne Proctor, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, April 1, 2004
We are now in the midst of the widely anticipated March Madness basketball tournament... it's time for the NCAA and university athletic programs to make a clean break with the alcohol industry, starting with the March basketball tournament. The NCAA argues that it already has taken steps to restrict alcohol ads during the tournament. And yet the tournament still attracts more alcohol ads than any other sporting event.
The beer companies insist their close association with college athletics is in no way linked to the drinking problems on college campuses. They also would have us believe that their ad campaigns -- say, using 22-year-old golfer Sergio Garcia and Kid Rock to promote specific brands and using PG-13 movies like Scary Movie 3 to pitch another label of suds -- are not targeting the college crowd, which just happens to spend about $5 billion a year on beer.
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See coverage of our action againt Coors and Scary Movie 3
Looser state law spurs host of wet-dry votes
The Dallas Morning News, April 1, 2004
Pro-alcohol forces across Texas are taking advantage of new, less-burdensome requirements and flooding voters with petition drives and local-option elections. Supporters tout the economic benefits of loosening the alcohol prohibitions. They say beer and wine sales will make cities more attractive to supermarkets and large retailers.
Opponents contend that alcohol sales lead to increased crime and drunken driving, and they scoff at the purported economic benefits. "I couldn't see any benefit for our city or county, that it was going to lead to underage drinking, and require more police protection," said Rockwall Mayor Ken Jones, who opposed calling elections to legalize beer, wine and liquor sales in two Rockwall County commissioner precincts. The issues failed at the polls in February.
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Alcohol and college sports: Schools can't find right mix
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 2, 2004
Faced with increasing pressure from parents and public-health advocates, colleges are desperately seeking ways to tame tailgating, eliminate beer-sparked fan riots, keep star players and big-name coaches out of trouble and, in what might be the athletic director's ultimate paradox, balance alcohol's often-tragic consequences with its revenue-producing potential.
Administrators, tempted by the marketing money that alcohol producers offer, often must choose between principles and revenue. During the 2003 NCAA basketball tournament, there were more televised beer commercials than during the Super Bowl, World Series, and a season's worth of Monday Night Football games combined.
Anheuser-Busch had contributed $2 million toward the construction of Louisville's football facility, Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. And, according to newspaper reports, Jack Daniel's bourbon has made contributions to the university that are "well into seven figures."
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Thursday, April 1, 2004
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
Ridgway Record, PA, March 31, 2004
This year's theme is "Save a Life-End Underage Drinking." The idea to highlight underage drinking during alcohol awareness month stems from a report compiled by the National Academy of Sciences. The report, titled "Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility," brought to light a lack of efforts to reduce underage drinking.
Possible solutions to the problem will center on the National Academy of Sciences' suggestions, including a decrease in media advertisements glamorizing alcohol and an increase in policies to thwart abuse. Keg tagging is a topic of debate in the state Senate and the House will soon be deciding if adults should be more responsible when an underage drinking party is discovered.
April 2 through 4 is alcohol free weekend and ...the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism will be sponsoring a national screening day on April 8.
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More on Alcohol Awareness Month
Coalition targets attitudes on teen drinking
Berkshire Eagle, MA, April 1, 2004
Erica Schmitz of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition said that fighting teenage drinking can't be limited to lecturing teens and their parents. It takes a concerted effort from the entire community.
"Blaming youth for teenage drinking is like blaming fish for dying in a polluted stream," Schmitz said. "We're trying to clean up the river, and change what we call the environmental factors that contribute to teenage drinking."
With that goal in mind, NBCC has launched an effort in Adams and Williamstown to enlist the community in changing attitudes toward underage drinking. "This isn't about Prohibition," said NBCC Executive Director Al Bashevkin. "We believe each community can take more control about the messages we're sending our kids."
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Idaho’s single liquor-control officer can’t enforce laws on sale of alcohol
Idaho Statesman, ID, April 1, 2004
Idaho employs a single enforcement officer to make sure the 3,500 establishments licensed to sell alcohol follow state laws, a situation a top enforcement official calls “a public safety hazard.”
State law charges a division of the state police with overseeing liquor licenses and enforcing liquor laws. But the lone enforcement officer spends the majority of his time processing applications for new liquor licenses. That means the state´s liquor-control division rarely undertakes life-saving prevention projects to keep people from driving drunk and to keep alcohol out of the hands of underage people.
The gaps were highlighted in special sting operations last year set up to catch people selling alcohol to people who are underage. Almost half of the establishments tested in southern Idaho sold to minors. And in one Boise check, 70 percent of the bars, restaurants and stores sold alcohol to undercover youth.
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