You can identify effective methods of changing the community alcohol environment by asking if they accomplish one of four goals:
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Does the effort make alcohol less available?
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Does this effort make alcohol less attractive?
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Does this effort make alcohol less affordable?
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Does this effort make alcohol misuse, including underage drinking, less acceptable?
If the answer is “no” it may be a worthwhile activity – but it is unlikely to change the alcohol environment. Research shows that single occasion “events” don’t have the impact or support changes in behavior. Research has also shown that it takes numerous changes in our family, community and public policies and practices change the alcohol environment. But change is possible.
Fortunately, many effective interventions are inexpensive and some may actually save your municipality money in the long run.
For example:
- Limiting the number of alcohol licenses can reduce alcohol related crime and violence. Use this checklist to guide your local research on how alcohol licenses are awarded in your municipality.
- Watch a three minute video showing the consequences of over concentrating alcohol outlets on State Street in Madison
- Limiting the Concentration of Retailers Selling and Serving Alcohol in Your Community (PDF) outlines the problems that develop when alcohol outlets become concentrated and the steps your community group or coalition can take to prevent or resolve the over concentration of alcohol outlets.
- Limiting or reducing concentration of locations that sell and serve alcohol in a very small geographic area, such as State Street in Madison or even an over concentrated corner in a small rural community can reduce alcohol related crime, violence and injury. Municipal licensure allows community leaders to declare a freeze on additional license and focus on creating safe well managed establishments. There is no right to an alcohol license in Wisconsin, refusing to issue more licenses doesn’t cost your community a penny and may save money in the long run.
- Parent networks composed of families who agree to never to serve alcohol to underage youth, monitor local parties and to report underage drinking to the authorities can be set up using list serves, phone trees and through existing parent groups. Networks can cost very little and can piggyback on the Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaigns in many Wisconsin Counties. It is an effective method of reducing noncommercial youth access to alcohol.
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Limiting or reducing concentration of locations that sell and serve alcohol in a very small geographic area, such as State Street in Madison or even an over concentrated corner in a small rural community can reduce alcohol related crime, violence and injury. Municipal licensure allows community leaders to declare a freeze on additional license and focus on creating safe well managed establishments. There is no right to an alcohol license in Wisconsin, refusing to issue more licenses doesn’t cost your community a penny and may save money in the long run.
