Underage Drinking: State Prevention Videos
Across the Nation, every state and territory is unique and so are their approaches to prevent and reduce underage drinking. Since 2007, SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has collaborated with 14 states and 1 territory to produce videos that support their local underage drinking prevention communications efforts.
Videos for nine additional states and one territory are currently in production and are expected to be completed by late summer 2010. By 2014, CSAP will assist the remaining states and territories in creating videos and will conduct follow-up surveys to monitor the efficacy of these efforts.
Currently, the following states and one territory have created videos: Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington State.
Varying in length from 3 to 15 minutes each, the videos are categorized by target audience and key message points. For instance, you can see which videos emphasize community-based or youth-led initiatives or the consequences of underage drinking.
Prevention professionals, educators, parents, and youth themselves can benefit from the ideas and facts presented on how to keep teens and young adults safe, healthy, and alcohol free.
What are the challenges? They are different for every state. Each video addresses specific barriers the state might face. For example, in Underage Drinking: A Problem as Big as Texas, the state’s vast size and cultural diversity are discussed as factors that could hinder prevention efforts.
Guam’s video discusses how alcohol is part of the island culture, often used at fiestas.
The solutions are varied as well. For instance, the Connecticut video describes efforts to educate retailers that sell alcohol about how to keep it out of underage hands. In the video from Washington State, teens give their perspectives on what they need to hear from their parents about alcohol use.
Watch the videos. For more information about underage drinking prevention, visit SAMHSA’s Too Smart To Start Web site.