The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68656

Barbara E. Ryan, The Silver Gate Group, Prevention File: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs, 3437 Goldfinch Street, San Diego, CA 92103, 619/294-3319, bryan4@compuserve.com

Media advocacy and community organizing at four AMOD sites

AMOD provided intensive support to four campus/community coalitions through a community organizing and communication Advocacy Initiative designed to help the public make the connection between high-risk drinking, its second-hand effects, and those factors in the environment – particularly public policy - that contribute to or resolve problems. The Initiative focused on community organizing and media advocacy to generate support for research-based policy solutions. Each site developed planning, communications, organizing and advocacy skills needed to build support for new public policies and ongoing public involvement in addressing community alcohol problems. Each site developed a strategic advocacy plan and implemented it to the successful attainment of their policy and media goals. This presentation recounts from interviews and observations the experiences of the following campus-community policy change collaborations: University of Delaware--The City of Newark, Delaware University of Iowa--The City of Ames, Iowa University of Nebraska-Lincoln—The City of Lincoln, Nebraska University of Vermont—The City of Burlington, Vermont

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain an understanding of the role that training and technical assistance play in supporting purposeful, planned campus/community policy advocacy.
• Participants will learn how media advocacy can be used to expand the public’s understanding environmental and policy responses to binge drinking.
• Participants will take “lessons learned” from the Initiative for application in their campus/community environments.

Keywords: College Students, Alcohol Problems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.