StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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EDUCATION & ENFORCEMENT excessive or binge drinking mean to this demographic and how can we address it?" For this audience, the answer was a different kind of campaign with a different mes- sage. "We wanted to develop a campaign that wasn't just the same old alcohol education message," Waters says. "I'm pleased with the way the cam- paign has gone and it continues to be a huge success." This certainly won't be the last time Pennsylvania reaches out to younger, legal drinkers encouraging them to exercise good judgment and look out for each other. "Parts of the campaign were controversial and there were challenges, but our goal was to generate discus- sion," Kriedeman says. "It's a great conversation starter and that's the first step to changing behaviors. The "Call the Shots" campaign also includes this interactive web site. being fairly distributed and used for the right purposes. "This program is very important because it shows we recognize the work people are doing on the local level," Kriedeman says. "Each com- munity has specific needs and the local organizations know what those needs are, so this is an effective way to promote responsible consumption." In addition, the board pro- Keeping It Local The PLCB doesn't have the resources or manpower to be everywhere in the state at once, but by partnering with local community organizations and enforcement agencies, the board has greatly expanded its reach. For more than a decade, the board has committed money to support college ini- tiatives, enforcement agencies and media campaigns to bring awareness to underage drink- ing and alcohol misuse throughout the commonwealth. This year, the board has committed $1 million to fund its local grants program. "Since 1999 the board has made a commitment to make sure our local grants program is successful, awarding more than 290 organizations approximately $6.5 million," Waters says. "The first year we began with $132,500, this year we've reached $1 million, and within a few years that will increase to $1.5 million." The grants are awarded during a competitive process, which requires the receiving entity to commit a 25 percent match of funds. The grants have ranged from a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum of $17.500. The board periodically reviews the grant money to ensure it's 18 "Parts of the campaign were controversial and there were challenges, but our goal was to generate discussion. It's a great conversation starter and that's the first step to changing behaviors." vides local organizations with technical assistance and train- ing through the board's alcohol education efforts. Local police, for example, are trained to recognize fraudulent doc- uments. "We're able to support activities already going on with supplemental resources that can be combined with money from other agencies," Coombe says. "It gives them the hands-on work they need to combat illegal activity on a local level." — Stacy Kriedeman, deputy director of external affairs, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board There are also plans to expand the grant program from a one-year program to two years, allowing for greater data collection and review. "We want to get better data to posi- tion ourselves as a best practices organization," Waters says. "That allows our industry part- ners the opportunity to do their work in the field, then have us verify the data to ensure it's accurate and supportive of the mission." Support from the Top These and other educational efforts wouldn't be pos- sible without input and support from throughout the PLCB. Waters says the social responsibility campaign shows the state is focusing on reaching the underserved 21-29 demographic, doing everything it can to educate them and help them make better choices, something that's very important to the chairman and the board members. "Everyone is very supportive of the work we're doing, especially on these two topics," he says. "It shows, especially with the grant program's monetary commit- ment, how important these issues are to the state and the liquor control board." SW StateWays s www.stateways.com s May/June 2012