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On August 2–4, 2007, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Program sponsored the ninth annual National Leadership Conference, entitled "Empowering Leadership to Enhance What Works." More than 1,600 individuals attended, half of whom were law enforcement professionals working at the State, county, and municipal levels to reduce underage drinking and related problems. Other attendees included prevention advocates, representatives from elementary through higher education, public officials, community volunteers, researchers, parents, counselors, and judicial officials. State representatives, Federal partners, and more than 300 youth gathered in Orlando, FL, to focus on the prevention of underage drinking.

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores presents keynote address.

He mentioned the following nationwide efforts of the EUDL program:

• States and communities are employing new implementation tactics to reduce underage drinking on college campuses and in the communities that surround them. For instance, more and more universities in Texas are notifying parents after their child is cited for his or her first alcohol-related infraction, and these young people are learning to appreciate more fully the consequences of underage drinking.

• Ventura County, CA, has enacted a model Social Host liability law that imposes civil penalties and harsh fines—rather than a sentence that mandates jail time—on adults who provide alcohol to youth.

• With the growing popularity of flavored alcoholic beverages, an increasing number of States are looking into how their State codes classify such products to ensure that the products are not easily available to youth.

• Increasingly, parent groups are becoming integral partners in State EUDL efforts across the country.

Acting Surgeon General Addresses Conference

Acting Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, speaks about underage drinking.

He cited the following facts:

• Alcohol is the most widely used and abused substance among our Nation's youth.

• A higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than tobacco or illicit drugs.

• The physical consequences of underage alcohol use range from medical problems to death by alcohol poisoning.

• Alcohol plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior including unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity. Such behavior increases the risk for unplanned pregnancies and for contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

• Alcohol increases the risks of physical and sexual assault.

• Underage drinking is a well established risk factor for heavy drinking later in life.

• Youth who begin drinking before age 15 are five times as likely to have alcohol problems after age 21.

The Acting Surgeon General also talked about the need to approach the problem of underage drinking from many levels:

Rather than working separately, we need to "connect the dots" from all sectors of society: Federal, State and local levels. We need to connect the dots between public health—to law enforcement—to correctional health—to public safety—to public education—to parental involvement—and of course, to the children. Together we can accomplish more.

Department of Justice Announces $17 Million in EUDL Awards

On August 2, 2007, the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced block grant awards of more than $17 million to 50 States and the District of Columbia to enforce State and local underage drinking laws. The awards are made through the EUDL program, which supports activities in law enforcement, public education programs, and innovative methods for reaching youth. In addition, more than $5 million in EUDL funds went to support demonstration programming in the States and national research, training, and technical assistance to EUDL.

"The dangers of underage drinking affect every segment of our society," said Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for OJP. "These awards support law enforcement agencies' efforts to more aggressively implement underage drinking laws and help create partnerships with parents, youth, schools, and communities to monitor adolescent activities."

OJJDP established EUDL, the only Federal initiative directed exclusively toward preventing underage drinking, in 1998. The program is a $25 million initiative consisting of block grants to each State and the District of Columbia and discretionary awards to selected States to fund the best and most promising activities and research at the local level. Each State and the District of Columbia received at least $350,000 in block grants.

The awards support a wide range of activities including a strong emphasis on compliance checks of retail alcohol outlets to reduce sales to minors, crackdowns on false identification, programs to reduce older youth or adults from providing alcohol to minors, "party patrols" to prevent access to alcohol at large youth gatherings, and "cops in shops" to deter minors' attempts to purchase alcohol.

For more information, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/2007/OJJDP07060.htm

Shaquille O'Neal addresses participants.

A lot of people don't know that alcohol-related fatalities have risen 11.6 percent in the past year. That's 7,000 beautiful young kids who have passed away—future doctors, lawyers, future NBA players and detectives. This is an issue we really have to do something about.

I was also surprised to find out that the number one place kids get their alcohol is from their own homes. Parents need to do a better job of watching their children and keeping this from happening.