START Program

START - stop teen alcohol risk team

Underage Drinking is not a “Minor” Problem

Contents

What We Do

The Vermont Department of Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs (ADAP) uses funds from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to promote community change in enforcing underage drinking laws. The OJJDP money is used in conjunction with other community based prevention grants, to provide an improved law enforcement response. It also supports the implementation of research-based prevention being undertaken as a result of CSAP’s State Incentive Cooperative Agreements and the coalitions involved in the Drug Free Communities Support projects.

Vermont has used the OJJDP money to develop a statewide taskforce on underage drinking “Stop Teen Alcohol Risk Team” [START.] The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) worked with ADAP staff to engage community-based law enforcement groups (regional START teams) in increasing the levels of enforcement for underage drinking.

These community responses have:

Vermont’s law enforcement personnel are connecting with judicial, reparative, and community groups to improve enforcement protocols, change community norms, and improve public policies.

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The Goals of Vermont’s Program

  1. To merge and coordinate Vermont’s public policy enforcement efforts with the community based substance abuse prevention initiatives.
    • Foster broad-based community support for reducing underage drinking.
    • Foster collaboration between law enforcement and community prevention efforts
  2. To support implementation of the Stop Teenage Alcohol Risk Team [START] state and local level task forces.
    • Engage Vermont’s cities and towns as active participants in the process of change.
    • Strengthen the statewide commitment to reduction of underage drinking.
    • Provide training that supports these efforts.
  3. To create a consistent statewide and local law enforcement response to underage drinking which is connected to state’s attorney’s offices (prosecutors), court diversion boards, and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment services.
    • Increase enforcement throughout the state, including prosecution.
  4. To reinforce public values and prosocial norms and integrate them with the newly evolving efforts to incorporate research based prevention in communities.
    • Reduce adult sanctioning of youth alcohol use.
    • Increase use of proven, integrated strategies and environmental approaches
  5. To encourage communities to identify and implement public policy which increases community awareness, enforcement, and sanctions:
    • Reducing youth access
    • Reducing sales to minors
    • Reducing adult purchasing or supplying alcohol for minors
    • Reducing rural, remote drinking and "keg" parties
    • Reducing youth travel across state lines to purchase alcohol
    • Reducing teen highway fatalities
  6. To reduce the incidence of sales of alcoholic beverages to minors by licensed retailers both for on and off premise consumption.
    • Reducing youth access and sales to minors.

See our "Success Story" at:
 http://www.udetc.org/documents/success_stories/VT0707.pdf

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