Download Underage Drinking: It's a Law Enforcement Problem

Timothy B. Howard, Sheriff of Erie County
Sheriff Timothy B. Howard

37 year career in law enforcement
 24 years with the New York State Police
 8 years as the Undersheriff of Erie County
Family of Law Enforcement
 Since becoming Sheriff, I’ve had a passion
for preventing underage drinking

 Early adopter of law enforcement-driven
environmental prevention in NYS
History of ECSO Prevention

1981 – Creation of Sheriff’s Public
Awareness is Prevention Program
 Initial focus on school-based drug education
○ K-9 Drug Education, Assembly Programs, Drug
Displays, one-time programs

1980s
 Heightened Alcohol Enforcement
○ Alcohol server training
○ First DWI patrols
History of ECSO Prevention

1980’s and 1990’s
 Development of Community Coalitions
 Move towards science-based, school-based
drug education
○ Project Alert, LST, Botvin

Late 1990s
 State-directed focus on Underage Drinking
○ Not A Minor Problem Campaign
 Branding alcohol as a “drug”
 Began to use mass media
 Aim to change norms about underage drinking
Law Enforcement in Prevention

Unique Position of Law Enforcement
• Can act on all three strategies
o Regulations/Laws/Policies
• e.g. enforcement of social host laws
o Availability
• e.g. server trainings
Norms
Regulations
o Norms
ALL
• Mass media, parent
YOUTH
forums
Availability
Multi-part Public Awareness
Campaign for the New Millennium
2006 – ECSO transitioned from schoolbased to environmental prevention
strategies
 In collaboration with the Center for Health
& Social Research at Buffalo State
College:

 Used a data-driven approach to target the
highest risk areas within the ECSO patrol
districts
○ Southern Erie County
Multi-part Public Awareness
Campaign for the New Millennium

Recruitment of coalition members/community
partners
 Letter-mailings, newspaper articles, local media
ads
 Key Informant Interviews to identify the specific
community problems and nuances
 Community buy-in from schools, local
businesses, parents, churches, and local
government
Multi-part Public Awareness
Campaign for the New Millennium

Over the past 3 years, the ECSO has
fostered a relationship with three independent
coalitions
 Collaborate with each other and with ECSO on
coordinated prevention activities
Established working relationship with area
schools and business
 Six effective mass media campaigns

Mass Media

Law Enforcement has a special relationship
with media outlets
 A natural mix through the years

ECSO Underage Drinking Media Campaign
 Use of mass media
○ Changing community norms
 Effective use of funds to reach maximum target
audience
○ i.e. “biggest bang for the buck”
Mass Media

Posters, Postcards
 Distributed to EVERY Middle and High School in
Erie County
 Examples in your folders

Table Tents
 Underage Drinking Message
 Distributed to every licensed liquor establishment
in the County
Mass Media

Billboards
 Target a specific audience for a specific time
 Collaboration with other prevention agencies
Mass Media

National CineMedia In-Theatre Ads
 Large, diverse target audience
 Wide geographic reach
 Cost-effective
Campaigns – Responsible Choices

Tipline
 Statewide collaboration with Genesee
County Council on Alcohol and Substance
Abuse
Serve Kids, Serve Time
 Choose Your Ride
 Underage Drinking Could Cost You

Campaigns – Responsible Choices

Prom and Graduation
 Heightened Awareness and Patrols
Red Ribbon Week
 Red Ribbon Baseball Game
 First Night / Drug-Free Tree
 Working with Treatment

 Kids Escaping Drugs
 Mental Health
Role of Law Enforcement –
Norms and Policies
Access for illegal underage sales
 Hosting issues

 Target norms supporting providing alcohol to
youth (sales/hosting)

Collaboration with parents, schools,
prevention agencies
 Px2010 is THE collaboration in Erie County

Encourage parent forums
 Changing social norms
Parent Forums

Strong support for Parent Drug Awareness
Forums
 Would like to see these adopted across the County
 Effective tool for law enforcement to partner with
prevention agencies and school districts
○ ECSO-funded literature materials for parent forums
 Reduction in state funding for school resource
officers
○ Law enforcement linkages will be important for
schools in the future
Message for Parent Forums