ERIC ED397359: Teen Drinking Prevention Program. Communicator's Guide.

41 Pages·1995·0.99 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CG 027 214
ED 397 359
Teen Drinking Prevention Program. Communicator's
TITLE
Guide.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
INSTITUTION
Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for
Substance Abuse Prevention.
SMA-95-3026
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
95
41p.; For other documents in the "Teen Drinking
NOTE
Prevention Program," see CG 027 213-218.
Non-Classroom Use (055)
Guides
PUB TYPE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Activities; *Adolescents; Alcohol Abuse; *Community
DESCRIPTORS
Action; *Community Programs; *Drinking; Drug Abuse;
*Prevention; Program Development; Public Education;
Public Opinion; Public Service; Social
Responsibility; Substance Abuse; Youth Programs
ABSTRACT
Underage drinking is a serious national
problem--alcohol-related injuries are a leading cause of death and
injury among young people in the United States today. This guide is
designed to help individuals who wish to be involved in a national
effort to prevent underage drinking. It includes materials and
messages that can be reproduced, as well as other information that
can be tailored for a specific community or'audience. The guide will
help in creating a broad-based public education program to
communicate to neighbors the seriousness of the teen drinking problem
and to motivate community members to become a part of the solution.
Some of the topics addressed here include ways to create a teen
drinking prevention program in one's community, including sample
letters to elected officials and establishments that sell alcohol.
Also detailed are the role of ne spokesperson and strategies for
gaining access to the news media, such as effective ways to
communicate with reporters and editors, techniques for targeting
messages and audiences, some sample press releases, some sample
opinion editorials, and examples of public service announcements for
radio. (RJM)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
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Table of Contents
Why Create A Teen Drinking
Prevention Program? 4
What Are Community Norms?
4
Changing Community Norms
4
How Will This Guide Help Me?
4
Prevention Strategies and Activities
5
Product Development and Distribution
5
What Will Be the Role of the Communication Process?
5
6
Media Relations
Communicating With Elected State and Local Officials
6
and Community Leaders
Sample Letters
7
Letter to Sales Outlets
7
Letter to State and Local Elected Official/Legislator/
Enforcement Official
8
The Role of the Spokesperson
9
Your Local Program Spokesperson
9
Sample Speech
10
Gaining Access to the News Media .
. .12
Communicating With Reporters and Editors
12
Pitch Letters
12
Phone Calls
12
News Conferences
13
Targeting Messages and Audiences, Selecting Media Outlets,
and Building Media Lists
13
Public Service Announcements
14
Sample Press Releases
15
Program Announcement
15
Administrative license Revocation Program
16
Mayor's Participation
17
Youth Driver's Licensing
18
Sample News Feature
19
20
Sample Opinion Editorials
20
General
The Influence of Alcohol Advertising
21
22
Alcohol Education
23
Dram Shop Laws/Server Education
The Influence of Alcohol Advertising
24
25
Letter to the Editor
26
Sample PSAs for Radio
26
Length: 10 Seconds
26
Length: 20 Seconds
26
Length: 30 Seconds
27
Materials To Be Reproduced
27
Print PSAs
29
Point-ofPurchase Display Card
Appendix: Radio Public
30
Service Guide
CSAP's Communicator's Guide
Why Create a Teen Drinking Prevention Program?
nderage drinking is a serious national
In answering these questions, individuals
problem with many causes and no simple
and communities will see what message patterns
solutions. The problem is widespread and affects
are being given to young people. Are their actions
us all. Finding a lasting solution will require
giving tacit approval to underage drinking?
changing community norms. It will require build-
Changing Community
ing a communitywide network with numerous
Norms
prevention partners, including prevention profes-
sionals, public health and safety officials, busi-
challenge before your community is to
The
ness and community leaders, volunteers, elected
identify those norms that permit and
officials, educators, the religious community, and
encourage rather than discourage drinking by
teens themselves.
young people, and then build your communica-
What Are Community
tion program around the goal of changing those
Norms?
norms. For example, some communities will
demand stricter enforcement of the laws con-
Norms are standard behaviors, those
cerning the purchase and possession of alcohol
actions that we expect of others and often
by persons under 21 years of age. Another com-
take for granted. A norm is a behavior that we are
munity may discover that young residents know
taught, either consciously or unconsciously.
little of the real dangers of drinking; that commu-
Unfortunately, some learned behaviors can be
nity will begin an alcohol education program to
detrimental to our health and safety, such as
ensure that their youth know the real facts.
drinking too much alcohol or, in the case of
Some of the sample materials contained in
young people, drinking any alcohol at all.
this guide target specific issues that your commu-
The critical goal of the CSAP Teen Drinking
nity might identify as factors that contribute to
Prevention Program is for communities to look at
the prevalence of underage drinking. These
themselves and the messages given by themselves
include lax enforcement of the 21-year-old drink-
and by society as a whole. What are standard
ing laws, alcohol advertising that targets young
community behaviors saying to young people
people, or local laws concerning driver's license
concerning alcohol? Ask yourself the following
revocation or blood alcohol levels. These materi-
questions:
als will help you build a campaign that targets
When alcohol is served in your home, is a
such a norm and creates a public demand for
nonalcoholic alternative beverage also
change.
offered?
How Will This Guide
Help
Arc underage youth served alcohol in your
ame?
home and in the establishments you visit?
This guide will help you create a broad-
Is the 21-yearold drinking age strictly
based public awareness and education pro-
enforced within your community, or do
gram. It provides communication products ready
vendors and enforcement officials look the
for reproduction, as well as strategies, concepts,
other way?
and ideas that you can easily incorporate into
Are there events within your community
your local effort.
that are built around drinking as a form of
Planning for your local campaign should
entertainment, such as beer blasts and keg
include the following:
parties?
Prevention strategies and activities
Is alcohol education part of the elemen-
ProdLct development and distribution
tary and secondary school curricula in your
cotnmunity?
Media relations
Is teen drinking considered a "safe" alter-
Communication with local elected offi-
native to illicit drug use?
cials and community leaders
Ten Drinking Prevntion Program
Why Create a Teen Drinking Prevention Program?
Prevention Strategies and
tent graphic treatment. If your community
Activities
supplements these products with ones produced
locally, we recommend that you continue to use a
Young people drink for many reasons: to fit
graphic treatment similar to that of the national
in with the crowd, to feel grown up, or to cope
pieces. A similar look in all program elements will
with their feelings. There are, however, several
strengthen the effectiveness of the overall effort.
"protective" strategies that can help foster
A well-developed distribution plan is the
healthy behavior in our young people.
foundation of any successful communication
Your community should strive to
effort. No brochure, poster, or flyer can be effec-
Present a clear no-use message in the
tive if it never reaches its intended audience.
family, the community, and the media.
Early in your campaign planning, you should
Identify specific community norms or
identify target audiences and distribution meth-
factors that permit or encourage teen drink-
ods. When identifying target audiences, consider
ing rather than discourage it and target your
the following:
efforts toward changing those norms.
Community-based organizations
Provide prevention programs for young
Churches and synagogues
people at early ages.
Government agencies
Build community wide networks to create
Schools and educators
well-coordinated prevention programs with
many working partners.
Sales outlets
Provide young people with the real facts
Health organizations and professionals
about the dangers of drinking and with the
Prevention professionals
ability to resist the pressure to drink that
they receive from their peers and through
News media
advertising.
Youth organizations
Educate parents and other adults about the
Safety and enforcement agencies
warning signs of alcohol use by children, the
effects of their own alcohol use on a child's
Elected officials
behavior, and where to go for help if needed.
Such organizations and individuals can act
Inform citizens of the seriousness of
as intermediaries and carry your message to their
underage drinking and motivate them to
members, participants, employees, and readers.
change those community norms that assist
What Will Be the
rather than discourage teen drinking.
Role of the Public
Product Development and
Communication
Distribution
Process?
Products that deliver the program's message
Although the Teen Drinking Prevention
will be an important part of the entire effort.
Program is a program of group-to-group
Artwork for a number of such products is in-
and person-to-person information exchange and
cluded in this guide. These materials have been
persuasion, making the general public aware of
pretested and, we believe, will be effective in
the efforts and messages of the local campaign
delivering healthy messages to teens and adults
will have the effect of multiplying the message
alike. They are available to you for reproduction
many times over.
and/or f.
tailoring to your community or specif-
Tools you can use to communicate your pro-
ic audiences.
gram's information include the following:
You will notice that all the products incor-
porate the program tag line, as well as a consis-
Advertising
CSAP's Communicator's Quid.
Why Create a Teen Drinking Prevention Program?
Audio and visual presentations
Outdoor advertising/billboards
Photo opportunities
Brochures
Contests and promotions
PSAs (public service announcements)
Seminars
Direct mail
Speeches
Displays and exhibits
Survey research
Media interviews
Statement stuffers
News features and news releases
Media Relations
Newsletters
Open houses
The news media play a critical role in deliv-
ering information to people and in educating
them. The reach and success of your teen drink-
ing prevention program will depend, in part, on
Elements of Successful Public
media coverage of it as a newsworthy event.
Communication Programs
Because of the importance of gaining media cov-
erage for your local efforts, an entire section of
To communicate successfully, remember to...
this guide is devoted to working with the news
media.
CI Choose your goals. Before you begin, know specifically
Communicating With Elected
what you want to accomplish (e.g., media coverage of the
dangers of underage drinking, PSA placements).
State and Local Officials and
Community Leaders
CI Define your audience and learn as much about the group
as you can. The more carefully you define your audience,
Local elected officials and community lead-
the better chance you have of communicating with it.
ers are important to your teen drinking preven-
tion program in two ways. As community lead-
CI Determine your message and keep it short, simple, and
ers, they can influence what people think and
direct.
how they act. As legislators and elected officials,
CI Describe the desired behavior. Tell
your audience what
they have the capacity to create or change pro-
you want them to do and appeal to the self-interest and issues
grams or policies. As opinion leaders and law-
that are important to them; motivate the audience to action.
makers, these officials and community leaders
will play key roles in changing community norms
iI Determine the media. There are numerous ways to
that now encourage rather than discourage
communicate with your audiencenewspapers, radio,
underage drinking.
television, special events, and so on. Select the media that
A set of sample letters is included in this
best suit your message and can deliver the deepest reach
guide. Grassroots letter-writing campaigns can be
into your target audiences.
extremely effective. Constituent mail does influ-
1:71 Select from the wide array of public relations activities
ence officeholders!
those that best suit your message and will reach your audience.
Teen Drinking Prevntion Program
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young
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walk
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possession
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of
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States,
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asked
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enacted
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to
was
part
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residents of our
community
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and
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for
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