Alcohol is the drug most abused by teenagers in the United States. What can community anti-drug coalitions do to help alleviate the problem? The federal government could be one of your best resources.

The federal government dedicates over $70 million a year to reduce and prevent underage drinking and has a number of programs in place to address this widespread problem. These programs offer everything from scientific research to community and environmental intervention programs, and enforcement.

The majority of federal resources directed at reducing underage drinking are distributed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS implements underage drinking prevention through the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

NIAAA focuses on funding and conducting scientific research on underage drinking. NIAAA also produces educational materials and has published a comprehensive review of strategies to reduce drinking on college campuses: A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges.

SAMHSA provides technical assistance documents and funding to support education and awareness, community-based initiatives, guides and toolkits, and research. SAMHSA is currently promoting a specific prevention intervention entitled Too Smart To Start. This intervention was developed for implementation in the local community and focuses on 9 to 13 year olds.

Several HHS divisions fund the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free. This national campaign works with Governors’ spouses to reduce alcohol use among youth age 9 to 15. The campaign has produced a publication, entitled Keep Kids Alcohol Free: Strategies for Action, to help communities prevent alcohol use among youth.

Another government division that is working to reduce underage drinking is the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which focuses on enforcement as a strategy to prevent and reduce underage drinking. The organization funds retail compliance initiatives, prevention programs, and the development of appropriate sanctions, treatment and rehabilitation services for juveniles. Designed to reduce availability and prevent consumption of alcoholic beverages by minor, OJJDP’s Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program makes funding available through block and discretionary grants. OJJDP also funds the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center. The Center provides science-based, practical, and effective training and technical assistance services to States and communities working to combat underage drinking through law enforcement and environmental policy change.

Focusing on drunk and drugged driving by youth, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funds interventions and prevention programs targeting zero tolerance for alcohol and drug use among youth. Funding is granted to state highway safety programs and through incentive grants. NHTSA has also funded the development of the Community How-to Guides on Underage Drinking Prevention.

Another resource for the reduction of underage drinking at universities is the Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. The Center provides training and technical assistance to reduce drinking on college campuses and utilizes a mix of environmental management strategies. The Center also promotes innovative program development to improve student education, campus-based media campaigns, early intervention, treatment, recovery strategies, and enforcement.

In 2003, the National Academy of Science published a report that included a review of federal programs focusing on underage drinking: Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Three recommendations were made for improvement, including the establishment of a federal interagency coordinating committee on prevention of underage drinking, the establishment of a National Training and Research Center on Underage Drinking to provide technical assistance, training, and evaluation support and monitor progress in implementing national goals; and the issuance of an annual report on underage drinking to Congress summarizing all federal agency activities, progress in reducing underage drinking, and key surveillance data.

Based on the Academy’s recommendations, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress introduced legislation in July 2004 that increases federal government leadership and coordination on underage drinking prevention efforts through a federal interagency coordinating committee. The legislation also funds a national media campaign on underage drinking aimed at adults; increases resources for communities and states to enhance underage drinking prevention efforts; and provides funding for additional research on underage drinking. While the legislation has not yet been acted upon, SAMHSA is currently chairing an Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) on Preventing Underage Drinking.