An Overview of Rural Enforcement Initiatives Addressing Underage Alcohol Problems

1
An Overview of Rural Enforcement Initiatives
Addressing Underage Alcohol Problems

• NABCA Administrators Conference
• Philadelphia, PA
• 2007

Aidan J. Moore Program Director Pacific Institute
for Research and Evaluation
2
Costs of Underage Drinking in the United States
2005
Total 60.3 Billion Dollars
(1.6 Billion Dollar Reduction from 2001)
Source Pacific Institute for Research and
Evaluation (PIRE), July 2007
3

• Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or
  older reported being current drinkers of alcohol
  in the 2006 survey (50.9 percent). This
  translates to an estimated 125 million people,
  which is similar to the 2005 estimate of 126
  million people (51.8 percent).
• Source Results from the 2006 National Survey
  on Drug Use and Health National Findings,
  SAMHSA Office of Applied Studies

4
A 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Among Age 20 and Younger
Source Department of Health and Human Services,
SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies 2006
5
Alcohol in Rural Areas

• Alcohol is of particular concern in rural areas.
• Each year more people are arrested for driving
  under the influence (DUI) than for any other
  single offense, and DUI is more common in rural
  areas.
• One way to compare rural and urban areas is to
  use self-report surveys. One survey found that
  rural youths began using both legal and illegal
  drugs at a younger age, but a higher percentage
  of urban youths were users.

Source National Institute of Justice, Research
in Action, Rural Crime and Rural Policing
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Big Picture

• Rural communities are faced with unique
  challenges and opportunities when confronting
  underage drinking and other drug related
  problems.
• Data indicates that social availability of
  alcohol and inadequate enforcement at retail
  alcohol outlets creates an environment ripe for
  high-risk teen drinking.
• Underage drinking can be especially prevalent in
  rural communities given the lack activities for
  teenagers, as well as limited funding and
  services for alcohol and other drug prevention
  programming.

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Rural v. Urban

• While the terms rural and urban are used
  frequently in everyday language, there are no
  precise meanings of these terms upon which
  everyone can agree.
• Geography and the availability of resources are
  primary characteristics that distinguish rural
  law enforcement efforts from those in urban
  areas.
• Rural and urban policing share a variety of
  concerns, there are also problems that are either
  unique to the rural setting or are made more
  complicated by the rural environment

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The Isolation Factor

• The jurisdictions square mileage is often a
  number containing 4 digits.
• It might take a long time for law enforcement to
  get to the scene.
• Road quality may be poor
• Youth must travel greater distances to get
  around. In a rural setting.

• There is a greater distance from hospitals or
  emergency care facilities resulting in a high
  number of deaths from alcohol-related crashes and
  a lack of timely medical care.
• Drivers under 21 involved in fatal crashes on
  rural roads are 18.4 more likely to be under the
  influence of alcohol than drivers under 21 on
  non-rural roads.

1995 Youth fatal crash and alcohol facts (DOT
HS 808 525). Washington, D.C. US Department of
Transportation, NHTSA. National Center for
Statistics and Analysis, Fatal Accident Reporting
System.
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Who are Rural Police Agencies?

• The stereotypical rural police agency is a small
  sheriffs office similar to a fictional
  television program.
• This stereotype ignores other agencies involved
  in rural policing, such as State police, rural
  municipal departments, State-level conservation
  departments, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
  (ICE), park rangers, the railroad police, or
  tribal police who operate on Indian reservations.
• All of these agencies play a part in a
  comprehensive law enforcement approach to rural
  underage alcohol problems

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Rural Impediments

• Collaboration between law enforcement agencies
• Getting broad representation from different
  sectors of the community
• Lack of training for retailers and their
  employees
• Media Is the message getting through?
• Lack of data to support hypothesizes or
  conclusions
• Inconsistent approaches by state agencies, local
  police and the judiciary contribute to the
  challenges
• Apathy or anger by the public based upon their
  perception that nothing is being done.
• Lack of alternative activities for youth. (????)

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What About Data?

• Where Can I Get Rural Data?
• AOD use and access surveys administered to all
  students at only rural junior and senior high
  schools
• Risk assessments at local alcohol outlets
• Crash data, FARS, hospital discharge data by zip
  code
• Data Can Assist in Community Mobilization
• Motivational call-to-action for community members
• Data Can Assist in Problem Identification
• To identify underage drinking and youth access to
  alcohol as a priority to law enforcement
• Data is Important to Garner Media Coverage
• Data presented to media helps stimulate coverage
  to the community

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Federal Initiative - EUDL

• Enforcing Underage Drinking Law Program
• State Block Grants (360,000 per state and D.C.)
• Managed by OJJDPs State Relations Unit (SRAD)
• Discretionary Funds (6,640,000)
• Managed by OJJDPs Demonstration Programs Unit
• Discretionary Grants
• Evaluation (Wake Forest University and NIAAA)
• Training and Technical Assistance
• Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation -
  PIRE

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Are Rural Problems any Different?

• The EUDL Rural Communities Initiative (RCI)
  funded implementation of EUDL programs in rural
  settings.
• Purpose To promote understanding of issues
  related to underage drinking in rural
  communities.
• OJJDP is partnering with the National Institute
  on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which will
  conduct process and outcome evaluations of this
  initiative.

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The EUDL RCI States

• Washington
• Oregon
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• California (Example)
• Illinois (Example)
• Pennsylvania

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Use of Logic Model/Planning Tool

• A graphic representation or map of a phenomenon
  often represents a theory of the problem and/or a
  theory of action to address it.
• A Logic Model for substance abuse prevention maps
  a problem in terms of three components
• A clear definition of problem(s) to be addressed
  (consequences and behaviors)
• Intervening variables which have scientific
  evidence of contributing to the problem, and
• Prevention strategies (programs, policies,
  practices) with evidence of effectiveness to
  impact one or more intervening variable and/or
  the targeted problem.

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Example Logic Model for Reducing Underage
Drinking
Substance-Related Consequences
Substance Use
Causal Factors
Strategies (Examples)
Educate retailers to check ID and enforce
underage sales law
Easy Retail Access to Alcohol for youth
Low enforcement of alcohol laws
Enforce underage alcohol laws (compliance checks,
sobriety checkpoints)
Alcohol-related crash fatalities Alcohol
Poisoning Violence/Crime School Problems Teen
Pregnancy
Easy Social Access to Alcohol (parties, peers,
family)
Social Event Monitoring and Enforcement
Underage drinking
Media Advocacy to Increase Community Concern
about Underage Drinking
Social Norms accepting and/or encouraging youth
drinking (peer, family, community)
Restrictions on alcohol advertising in youth
markets
Promotion of alcohol use (advertising, movies,
music)
Bans on alcohol price promotion/happy hours
Low or discount pricing of alcohol
Source Dr. Johanna Birckmayer PIRE
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Specifically Targeted Strategies -1

• Reducing Physical Availability
• Creation of alcohol, tobacco and other drug-free
  zones near schools, parks, and other areas where
  youth congregate
• Restrictions on the number, type, and location of
  alcohol outlets within a certain proximity to
  schools
• Closing of problem alcohol outlets
• Prohibitions on alcohol sales and use at
  community and family-oriented events
• Restrictions on Advertising and Promotion Within
  a Certain Proximity to Schools

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Specifically Targeted Strategies -2

• Enforcement Aimed at Limiting Alcohol Access
• Retail compliance checks
• Shoulder Tap enforcement (aimed at third party
  providers)
• Party Patrol enforcement
• Impaired Driving Enforcement

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Specifically Targeted Strategies -3

• Interventions
• Encourage health care providers to conduct brief
  intervention and screening practices with all
  patients who are under the age of 21.
• Education
• prosecutors and judges in order to enhance their
  ability to recognize the full consequences and
  costs of underage drinking.

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Illinois

• Example - RCI Work Plan

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Illinois Programmatic Goals

• The Provider agrees to deliver services that
  address the following goals
• A 10 reduction in use of alcohol during the
  previous month among youth ages 14 - 20.
• A 10 reduction in attempts to purchase alcohol
  during the previous month among youth ages 14 -
  20.
• A 10 reduction in the belief alcohol is "easy"
  or "somewhat easy" to access month 14 - 20 years
  old.
• Conduct compliance checks in 100 of all on and
  off premise alcohol outlets within each targeted
  community.
• An increase in the percentage of community law
  enforcement personnel who believe local penalties
  associated with underage alcohol law violations
  are appropriate and effective.
• An increase in the percentage of parents who
  believe it is "wrong" or "very wrong" to supply
  alcohol to underage youth (who are not their
  children).
• A 10 increase in adults identified and cited for
  providing alcohol to underage youth.
• An increase in the percentage of judges who
  believe local penalties associated with underage
  alcohol laws are appropriate and effective. 

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Illinois Program Components

• Compliance checks conducted with on and off
  premise liquor license holders
• Merchant Education
• Strategies to reduce social availability of
  alcohol to youth
• Review existing local policy related to underage
  drinking
• Develop plan and provide technical assistance for
  the adoption of local policies or increased
  enforcement of existing policies
• Strategies to increase Driving While Intoxicated
  (DWI) enforcement with a focus on youth
• Environmental strategies to reduce alcohol
  consumption on or near school sites
• Strategies to improve cross-disciplinary data
  collection policies and procedures for ongoing
  assessment of underage drinking issues
• Assess and improve judicial responses to underage
  drinking offenses
• Assess and improve healthcare responses to
  underage drinking issues
• Educate the community, including parents, about
  local underage drinking issues
• Seek and develop innovative strategies to affect
  positive change in enforcing underage drinking
  laws and reducing underage drinking behavior
• Strategically utilize media to enhance local
  efforts to reduce underage drinking
• (i.e. social marketing, media advocacy)
• Engage youth in the planning and implementation
  of the above program components

Program components that are italicized are
required by the grantor
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Californias Rural Underage Alcohol Problem
PreventionA Demonstration Project

• Combating underage drinking in San Diegos rural
  east county communities through a public health
  and safety approach of enhanced community
  collaboration, high-visibility law enforcement
  and increased public information
• Funded by OJJDP

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Case Study - RUAPP

• The Rural Underage Alcohol Problem Prevention
  Project (RUAPP) was a cross disciplinary,
  multiple-intervention demonstration project
  targeting rural East San Diego County,
  California.
• The project was designed to impact underage
  drinking through a public health and safety
  approach of enhanced community collaboration,
  high-visibility law enforcement and increased
  public information.
• The RUAPP School Survey and final report was
  authored by PIRE.

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Programmatic Components

• The project utilized a public health and safety
  approach of enhanced community collaboration,
  high-visibility law enforcement, youth
  development, and media advocacy.
• Each component was developed to support the goals
  of reducing underage drinking among rural east
  county teens, reducing youth access to alcohol
  (including in Tecate, Mexico) and reducing
  DUI-related crashes.

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More Information on the RUAPP

• RUAPP One Model for Rural Environment
  Prevention
• http//publicstrategies.org/east_county_rural_home
  _page.htm
• An excellent example of a how-to-guidebook for
  community members.
• Included in this Action Kit are 
• examples that can be utilized by community
  leaders
• a step-by-step outline for implementing
  environmental prevention in rural communities
• and a PowerPoint slide show with presenter notes.

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LE Collaboration
Local Merchants
Judicial Involvement
Retail Licensees
Comprehensive Rural Strategy
Medical / Health Care
Media
Youth Parents Schools
State Alcohol Regulators
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Information

• Aidan J. Moore
• Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center at
  PIRE
• 11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900
• Calverton, MD 20705-3102
• 603-369-1766
• amoore_at_pire.org
• EUDL Program Manager for the states of
• Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode
  Island, Massachusetts
• Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa,
  Idaho and Michigan