responsibility issues. The Idaho State Liquor Division (ISLD) is one
of the organizations that helped to develop the Northwest Alcohol
Conference, a bi-annual event held in Boise, ID. This conference
attracts more than 500 attendees from around the country, including
professionals, who work in the area of prevention, and also youth, who
are interested in learning about responsible drinking measures and
sharing that information with their individual communities.
"The format of the conference has proven to be extremely successful
in the past, especially with the youth attendees," says Jeff Anderson,
director of the ISLD and chairman of the NABCA. "We encourage
youth to take the things they learn at the conference and bring them
back home to share with their communities. It's much more impactful
when the youth are the ones sharing the information with their peers
rather than having a 50-year-old guy in a suit [like me] talk about it."
The next Northwest Alcohol Conference will be held July 16-18.
The ISLD supports the initiative by providing funding and volunteers.
Additional fundraising support is provided by the National Alcohol
Beverage Control Association (NABCA).
According to Eddie Wirt, Director of Policy, Planning, and
Education with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
(ABC), his state is also making youth outreach programs a priority focus
area for 2014.
"High-school and college-aged youth are often at a much higher
risk for alcohol abuse," Wirt says. "People who start drinking at a young
age are more likely to continue abusing alcohol throughout their life.
There's also a very high percentage of abuse within this age group."
TARGETING STUDENTS
O
ne of Virginia's youth-focused initiatives is its College Tour
program. This spring, College Tour will visit two college campuses
in the state, and will travel to another two to three campuses in the
fall. These one-day conferences are geared toward educating student
leaders, as well as faculty, staff, and other professionals who work with
young people and are concerned with responsible drinking issues.
The conference program features a keynote speaker and separate
breakout sessions for students and professionals, focusing on topics
such as "Bystander Intervention" and "Getting Wasted: A Sociological
Approach to Drinking." Up to 200 participants are expected to attend
each conference. The events are free for students and cost $20 for
professionals. Funding for the program is provided by the Virginia ABC
and additional support is given by NABCA.
"We want to encourage conversations between students, faculty,
and staff, and help them engage in collaborative discussions about the
"IT'S MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL WHEN
THE YOUTH ARE THE ONES SHARING
THE INFORMATION WITH THEIR PEERS
RATHER THAN HAVING A 50-YEAR-OLD
GUY IN A SUIT [LIKE ME] TALK ABOUT IT."
— JEFF ANDERSON, DIRECTOR, IDAHO STATE LIQUOR DIVISION