Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among our youth and is a prevalent and persistent public health problem in our communities and throughout Wyoming. A key obstacle to preventing underage alcohol use is the fact that young people often are in situations where overconsumption of alcohol is tolerated or even reinforced. Early alcohol use in youth is a strong risk factor for the onset of adult alcohol misuse.
Some of the strategies the PMO, along with local community coalitions, have implemented are:
- Responsible Beverage Server Training (RBST) to provide servers with the skill set to limit youth access to alcohol.
- Provide material and resources, in the form of Event Toolkits, to help make local events family friendly by reducing conditions that contribute to youth exposure to the overconsumption of alcohol.
- Texting Tip Lines allow for anonymous reporting of risky behavior including underage drinking
- Support enhanced law enforcement in compliance checks, and party patrols.
- Digital social media campaigns, radio messaging, and PSA’s
[1] Cost of Substance Abuse in Wyoming, Fact Sheet, Wyoming Survey, and Analysis Center (WYSAC) DER-1250, 2010
[2] Underage Drinking in Wyoming 2013, Fact Sheet, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), 2015
[3] Crime in Wyoming 2015, Report, Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police (WASCOP), 2016
[4] Wyoming Client Information System (WCIS), Data File, Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), 2016