LAW ENFORCEMENT
One key to the success of an underage drinking prevention program is the participation and support of law enforcement agencies and personnel. Consistent enforcement of existing laws, in conjunction with broad community involvement and support, has been shown to prevent underage drinking.
In this section, you will find prevention strategies for law enforcement, as well as resources that include useful publications and helpful organizations. For additional information, see also Information For You, Policymakers.
Prevention Strategies
The above strategies appear in the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free prevention booklet. For more information on science-based prevention strategies, click on Keep Kids Alcohol Free: Strategies for Action.
Resources for Law Enforcement
Publications Alcohol Beverage Control Enforcement: Legal Research Report provides an analysis of twelve policies that pertain to alcohol beverage control enforcement in the areas of underage drinking and impaired driving. (National Liquor Law Enforcement Association, completed by Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) under contract with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The Alcohol Compliance Checks Procedure Manual is a practical guide for developing and implementing a compliance check system for establishments that sell or serve alcohol. (Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota)
The Community How-To Guides on Underage Drinking Prevention are nine guides that were developed as a part of the National Underage Drinking Prevention Project. The guides provide advice on participation by law enforcement agencies, as well as coalition building, strategic planning, prevention education, and public policy. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Governors Highway Safety Association)
Impaired Driving In The United States: State Cost Fact Sheets include the costs of impaired driving and laws enacted by the States. The fact sheets are created under a grant from the National Public Services Research Institute (NPSRI), and can be ordered from them. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
The Law Enforcement Guide to False Identification acquaints law enforcement officers with the various ways that false identification can be created and the techniques and tools that can aid in detecting false identification. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
The Making the Link fact sheets contain current statistics on a variety of topics relating to underage drinking, including access to alcohol and risky behavior issues. They were prepared by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to support the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free initiative (PDF files):
Underage Drinking and Access to Alcohol
Underage Drinking and Risky Behavior
Underage Drinking and Violence
Preventing and Dispersing Underage Drinking Parties discusses safe ways for law enforcement officials to break up parties where alcohol is being served to minors. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
Reducing Alcohol Sales to Underage Purchasers: A Practical Guide to Compliance Investigations identifies strategies to deter adults from buying for or providing alcohol to underage drinkers. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
What Police Can Do discusses effective police interventions to enforce underage drinking laws and promote prevention in their communities. (Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota)
Organizations The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Youth Access to Alcohol Task Force works to reduce underage drinking by studying youth exposure to alcohol advertising and access to alcohol; educating state Attorneys General on ways to reduce access and change social norms about underage drinking; and partnering with national and state entities to augment and enhance on-going efforts to stop underage drinking. (additional information is on the Web site above, under Standing Committees)
Some State boards and agencies are members of the National Alcohol Control Beverage Association (NABCA), a trade association representing 19 jurisdictions known as the "control states" which regulate alcohol beverage distribution within their respective borders, and also sell these products at the wholesale and, in many cases, retail level.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the national enforcement authority in matters affecting the alcohol industry. The Web site contains industry circulars, relevant alcohol tax publications, and links to Federal regulations, as well as proposed rules.
The National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA) is a nonprofit association of law enforcement personnel dedicated to improving the standards and practices of liquor law enforcement and the professional development of its members.
State Alcohol Control Boards and Liquor Control Agencies (NLLEA Web site) are responsible for licensing the alcohol industries, for collecting and auditing taxes and fees paid by the licensees, and for enforcing the laws and regulations that pertain to the alcohol beverage industries. The Leadership's State map provides links to State pages with contact information for these agencies.
The Office of Juvenile Justice Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center provides training, technical assistance, and resource materials to States as they implement block grants to enforce underage drinking laws. There are also links to training centers for community-oriented policing strategies.
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