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OJJDP News @ a Glance, March/April 2005

NCJ Number
209154
Date Published
April 2005
Length
0 pages
Publication Series
Annotation
This newsletter from the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) features information on OJJDP's Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Program, which is the only Federal initiative that focuses exclusively on preventing underage drinking.
Abstract
The strategic goal of the program is to reduce the availability of alcoholic beverages to minors as well as the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. The four elements of the program are block grants to each State and the District of Columbia, discretionary grants to selected States to demonstrate the implementation of best or most promising activities at the local level, technical assistance for States and communities in implementing the program, and a national evaluation of the program. The newsletter reports that with EUDL funding, States and communities throughout the country have documented increases in retail compliance with State alcohol laws and have also achieved environmental changes that support and enhance enforcement efforts. To date, 29 States have received discretionary funding, reaching more than 250 communities. Grants have helped to fund the capacity of law enforcement agencies to enforce underage drinking laws, helped engage youth in leadership activities to deter underage drinking, developed coalitions to support enforcement efforts, and addressed the challenge of reducing alcohol consumption on college campuses. The identification of best practices has been helped by the development of the Community Trials Initiative, which uses rigorous research methods to assess the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in the EUDL Program. Other topics discussed are implementation of the program in rural communities, the establishment of the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, the Annual National Leadership Conference, and the future of the program. Information is provided on new OJJDP publications, videoconferences, and funding.

Date Published: April 1, 2005