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Change Policies: Introduction

Strategies and Approaches to Change Policies

  1. Raise alcohol taxes

  2. Require graduated
    licensing for novice drivers

  3. Apply administrative sanctions rather than criminal penalties

  4. Enforce zero tolerance laws for underage drinking and driving

  5. Increase number of alcohol-free settings, events, and activities

  6. Promote social host liability laws

  7. Write zoning ordinances to manage retail alcohol outlets

  8. Controls on hours of sale

What Communities Can Do

What Parents Can Do

What Agencies Can Do

What Schools Can Do

Strategies & Approaches › Change Policies › Promote Social Host Liability Laws

Promote Social Host Liability Laws

Social host liability refers to the imposition of civil penalties against adults who provide alcohol to minors if injuries are caused by those minors. Approximately 30 states have some form of social host liability law, but publicity and awareness campaigns must be in place to make them effective. At a minimum, educational efforts should increase awareness of relevant laws, penalties, and enforcement initiatives, and stress to the public that it is unacceptable for adults to furnish minors with alcohol.  This type of training has proved particularly effective with Greek organizations on college campuses, some of which have radically altered their practices regarding large house parties.

Hosting Underage Drinking Parties: Criminal Liability as of 1/1/2006
(From APIS—Alcohol Policy Information System)

Hosting Underage Drinking Parties: Criminal Liability as of January 1, 2006

Issue Following the homecoming dance, 17-year-old Erin attends an all-night party at a friend’s home. The parents greet the guests as they arrive and take their car keys because they are serving beer. They prefer that their children and their friends drink at their home in a “safe environment” since they assume that their children will be drinking anyway.

Strategy

If hosting laws do not exist in your state, work with local legislators to change current policy to enact social host liability laws. Work with schools to disseminate information to parents about these laws, and the consequences of hosting an underage drinking party. Note that hosts who allow underage drinking on their property as well as supply the alcohol consumed or possessed by the minors may be in violation of two distinct laws: furnishing alcohol to a minor and allowing underage drinking to occur on property they control.

For additional strategies and approaches for changing policies, see the following:

What You Can Do: Community
What You Can Do: Parents
What You Can Do: Agencies
What You Can Do: Schools

References:
Bonnie, R.J. & M.E. O’Connell (eds). 2003. Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

Bonnie, R.J. & M.E. O’Connell (eds). 2003. Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies that Work. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at:  http://www.udetc.org/documents/Guide2zero.pdf#search=%22a%20guide%20to%20zero%20tolerance%20and%20graduated%20licensing%22. Accessed on [09/06/06]

Office of Applied Studies. 2004. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. NSDUH Report: Alcohol Dependence or Abuse and Age at First Use. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies that Work. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at:  http://www.udetc.org/documents/Guide2zero.pdf#search=%22a%20guide%20to%20zero%20tolerance%20and%20graduated%20licensing%22. Accessed on [09/06/06]

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies that Work. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at:  http://www.udetc.org/documents/Guide2zero.pdf#search=%22a%20guide%20to%20zero%20tolerance%20and%20graduated%20licensing%22. Accessed on [09/06/06]

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies that Work. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at:  http://www.udetc.org/documents/Guide2zero.pdf#search=%22a%20guide%20to%20zero%20tolerance%20and%20graduated%20licensing%22. Accessed on [09/06/06]

Underage Drinking Prevention Action Guide and Planner. 2001. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Available at: http://media.shs.net/prevline/pdfs/phd858.pdf#search=%22underage%20drinking%20prevention%20action%20guide%20and%20planner%22. Accessed on [08/25/06]

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies that Work. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at:  http://www.udetc.org/documents/Guide2zero.pdf#search=%22a%20guide%20to%20zero%20tolerance%20and%20graduated%20licensing%22. Accessed on [09/06/06]

Environmental Strategies to Prevent Alcohol Problems on College Campuses. 2005. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Available at: http://www.udetc.org/documents/EnviroStrat.pdf#search=%22strategies%20to%20promote%20alcohol%20free%20events%22. Accessed on [08/29/06]

Johnson, K.D. Underage Drinking: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Services. U.S. Dept. of Justice. Available at: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/PDFs/underage.pdf#search=%22statistics%20on%20alcohol%20free%20events%20and%20underage%20drinking%22. Accessed on [09/01/06]

Drinking in America: Myths, Realities, and Prevention Policy. U.S. Dept. of Justice. Available at: http://www.udetc.org/documents/Drinking_in_America.pdf. Accessed on [09/05/06]

The Relationship Between Alcohol Availability and Injury and Crime. Available at: http://www.alcoholpolicymd.com/alcohol_and_health/alc_availability.htm. Accessed on [01/09/06]

Bans of Off-Premises Sunday Sales. Alcohol Policy Information System. Available at: http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/index.asp?Type=BAS_APIS&SEC={1215CDC3-980E-4868-87FB-524C3A1EC415}. Accessed on [09/28/06]
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