Study Shows Georgians' Strong Support For Alcohol Policies

4/5/2002

From: Simone Powell, 678-878-1892 (cell) or 770-239-7442 (office); or Joel Hardy, 404-456-5446 (cell) or 770-239-7442 (office); both of the Georgia Alcohol Policy Partnership Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking

ATLANTA, April 5 -- For the past five years, stronger efforts to reduce underage drinking in Georgia have resulted in critical changes in policies and enforcement at the state and local levels. Beer keg registration, state and local enforcement of laws prohibiting sales of alcohol to minors, 0.08 BAC limits for DUI, and increased penalties for adults that provide alcohol to those under the legal drinking age are only a few. Surveys released by the Georgia Alcohol Policy Partnership indicate rather strong support for these and other possible changes, despite vocalized efforts by opposition groups.

According to Simone Powell, communications director of the Georgia Alcohol Policy Partnership Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, the survey results support most of the prevention and policy strategies that the group has advocated for in the past five years. "Most of the general population and a large segment of the alcohol retailers support beer keg registration, mandatory training for alcohol licensees, as well as increased alcohol taxes and increased penalties for adults that give alcohol to minors," said Powell.

Highlights of the 2000 - 2001 surveys indicate that ninety-seven percent of Georgians are concerned about the problem of underage drinking and the exact same percentage of alcohol retailers reported they would rather lose a customer than risk selling alcohol to someone who is underage. When asked about solutions and support for policies, seventy-nine percent of Georgians favor a law that sets the minimum age to sell or serve alcoholic beverages at 21 and eighty-seven percent support color-coded driver's licenses for determining legal age of purchase for alcohol and tobacco products.

On the heels of NBC's recent reversal of its decision to lift its voluntary ban on TV liquor ads, the study shows that sixty-six percent of Georgians favored a law that would ban all advertisement of hard liquor on TV. "Many people don't realize that underage drinking is a major public health problem facing our young people today. This research shows that communities support the policy and enforcement efforts of coalitions, law enforcement, local government, and the legislators to reduce this serious problem," said Linda Schultz, Georgia PTA's State Legislative Chair.

The survey release comes on the dawn of National Alcohol Awareness Month and is part of a flurry of activities aimed at reducing underage drinking in Georgia. Throughout April, public service announcements, a statewide awareness campaign, and a conference on underage drinking is scheduled for April 17-19 at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta will take place.

"This conference -- Creating Community Change -- is aimed at increasing local capacity for delivering policy and enforcement strategies that keep alcohol away from those under 21," said Dr. Pete Colbenson, director of the Children & Youth Coordinating Council and the state's primary juvenile justice specialist.

Georgia's Lt. Governor Mark Taylor is scheduled to provide the official welcome address for the conference attendees and Millie Webb, national president of Mother's Against Drunk Driving, is slated to deliver the keynote address. Experts from Georgia and across the country will provide participants with examples of community-wide strategies proven to reduce youth access to alcohol.

The Georgia Alcohol Policy Partnership Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking is one of twelve coalitions funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation across the country. The coalition focuses on policy, enforcement, public education and awareness, as well as youth involvement as cornerstones of a movement to reduce underage drinking and is made up of parents, youth, law enforcement, government officials, private businesses, substance abuse prevention and treatment agencies, and advocacy groups from around Georgia.

--- EDITOR'S NOTE: Results of the Georgia Survey On Underage Drinking Prevention Policies are available at http://livedrugfree.org/