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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combat underage drinking. North Carolina's Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC) launched a new program in early 2014 known as the Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking. This program was created under the direction of North Carolina's Governor, Pat McCrory, who took offi ce in January 2013 and discussed the importance of curbing underage drinking in his inauguration speech. North Carolina ABC's Commissioner, Jim Gardner, was appointed by McCrory and tasked with making underage drinking a focus of his administration. The Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking is unique because of its broad scope, which reaches across the state and currently involves nearly 80 collective organizations and coalitions. The primary mission of the new initiative is to change the culture of the state and impress upon the public that underage drinking is unacceptable under any circumstances. The agency seeks to partner more closely with existing groups that are producing quality prevention programs, fi nding ways to communicate more closely and share resources to maximize overall results. As part of the development process, North Carolina conducted a series of nine focus groups across the state, receiving input from teenagers, parents, law enforcement agents, district attorneys, community leaders, prevention organizations, and more. The results of those focus groups were analyzed and used to develop the main focus areas of the initiative, which primarily target middle- school and high-school students. "We need to stop our kids from ever drinking, and the best way to do that is to get that message across as early as possible," explains Jan Pueschel, General Counsel to the North Carolina ABC. "We realize that this is going to be a lengthy process, and we expect it to be a 10-year program that will require ongoing maintenance well beyond that. It takes a long time to change the culture. And it's not only the kids we need to reach out to. We need to change the culture of the parents as well." Currently, North Carolina is in the process of hiring an external media agency to manage the development of new campaigns to help get the initiative's messages pushed out. Television ads, social media pushes, and websites are some of the mediums that will be used. One major concern the agency has is its ability to maintain funding to support these initiatives. "We have applied for some grants, but they are not long- term," Pueschel states. "We are currently lobbying for more funding, which is crucial to the overall success of the initiative." Several other states have incorporated external partnerships into their social responsibility programming as well. One of the Virginia ABC's strategies for success is to partner with outside organizations on a variety of social responsibility initiatives, maximizing resources and controlling related costs. One such partnership is with the Virginia College Alcohol Leadership Council (VaCALC), a volunteer collaborative supported by academic and student services professionals who come together to work on prevention campaigns throughout the state. In addition to coordinating various retreats and workshops throughout the year, VaCALC also works with the Virginia ABC on larger initiatives such as the College Tour program. This coming year, Virginia will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Program (YADAPP). A youth leadership organization, YADAPP focuses on preventing underage drinking among young people ages 13 to 20. An annual summer leadership conference is attended by more than 600 students from across the state. The students are empowered to work together to create Strategy to Act Now (STAN) plans, which are then implemented in the students' own communities. Another prevention program in Virginia is known as Project Sticker Shock. The agency provides community groups with supplies needed to organize events where red stop sign stickers are attached to alcohol product packaging in an effort to remind buyers that it is illegal to provide alcohol to minors. Virginia took over this StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q March/April 2014 32 th in m d h p m s The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's Chairman Joseph Brion kicked off the state's HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers campaign this past December. The program encourages licensees to provide free beverages, such as water or soft drinks, to people who identify themselves as designated drivers.