Arizona’s Underage Drinking Prevention Committee was established as a sub-committee under the Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership in 2005. Governor’s Office for Children Youth and Families-Division for Substance Abuse Policy is currently leading this interagency committee that is coordinating underage drinking prevention efforts across relevant state systems. The committee has worked tirelessly to address the problem of underage drinking in Arizona by assessing statewide epidemiological data, resources, strategies and policies, and building relationships with tribes, youth, law enforcement, government agencies, and community coalitions. Through combining resources, practice, and research, the committee is collaborating across state systems to reduce underage drinking. Partners on the committee include deputy directors, decision makers and representatives from government and advocacy agencies that directly influence underage drinking.

To develop a statewide underage drinking initiative and to maintain a collaboration of agencies that work together to prevent and reduce underage drinking and improve the health and safety of Arizona youth and by:

• Influencing state-level infrastructure change that will improve cross coordination and collaboration between state agencies working to prevent and reduce underage drinking.
• Modifying social and economic norms, conditions, and adverse consequences that result from alcohol availability, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sales, and use by persons under the legal drinking age of 21, and
• Effectively address at-risk youth populations and their environments.

In October 2007 Governor Napolitano and the Arizona Underage Drinking Prevention Committee officially launched Draw the Line, a statewide social norms marketing campaign to address underage drinking across the state. The Governor’s campaign seeks to give parents and adults the knowledge and tools they need in order to better influence their children’s decisions about underage drinking.

Campaign Goals are to:

• Raise awareness, change attitudes and alter behavior regarding youth alcohol consumption and alcohol availability in Arizona. Underage drinking is not a rite of passage.
• Provide useful tools and resources that assist parents and adults in educating children about the dangers of alcohol consumption before age 21.
• Reduce incidents of underage drinking statewide.The sustained, multi-faceted campaign will include numerous grassroots efforts including a traveling “live chat exhibit” where parents and other adults can share their frustrations and successes with one another, and record them for others to view at the campaign’s interactive Web site. The push to build public awareness also will feature numerous public relations opportunities to extend the reach of the campaign, such as: letters to the editor, lunch-and-learn workplace seminars, town hall meetings, block parties and other events staged throughout the state.

Governor Napolitano’s Office for Children, Youth and Families, along with 11 community coalitions around the state are coordinating with the UAD Committee on this effort. Primary funding for this campaign is provided by the Arizona Parent’s Commission on Drug Education and Prevention.

• Arizona’s 2nd Statewide Substance Abuse Conference:
  Partnerships to Prevent Underage Drinking Through Policy, Education & Enforcement Evaluation Report
• Arizona Attitudes on Youth Drinking Survey 2006
• Underage Drinking in Arizona Data Findings 2007

For more information, please contact:
Holly Orozco, DrPH, CHES
Senior Advisor On Substance Abuse Policy
Division For Substance Abuse Policy
Governor’s Office For Children, Youth And Families
1700 W. Washington, Ste. 101
Phoenix, AZ  85007
(602) 364-2233
Fax: (602) 542-3643
horozco@az.gov