Environmental Strategies

According to the 2008 CADCA Annual Survey of Coalitions, 67 percent of coalitions report implementing compliance checks for alcohol and/or tobacco sales to minors in the past year, and 64 percent said they helped enforce laws and policies discouraging substance abuse. However, only 17 percent of coalitions report being involved in limiting or restricting location and density of alcohol outlets.

Methamphetamine may be receiving a flurry of media attention recently, but is it really the major drug problem in your community? During a CADCA broadcast/webcast entitled "Drug Epidemics from Meth to Mothballs: How to Know What’s Really Happening in Your Community," experts will explore statistics on drug use in different parts of the country, and will offer tools that can help coalitions understand the patterns of drug use in their communities. The broadcast/webcast will be aired May 17 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST.

CADCA´s National Coalition Institute launched a new publication series, Beyond the Basics: Topic-Specific Publications for Coalitions, earlier this week with release of The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention Strategies. The new series complements the Institute´s popular Primer Series, which is based on the elements of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework.

CADCA’s National Coalition Institute

Defining the Seven Strategies for Community Change

Environmental prevention strategies focus on changing the physical, social and political setting in which problem behaviors occur. Research has shown that policy strategies are a very powerful tool to reduce rates of alcohol-related problems in communities and change community norms. In many cases they are much more cost effective than strategies designed primarily to educate individuals.

Media advocacy is the process of disseminating policy-related information through the communications media, especially where the aim is to effect action, a change of policy or to alter the public's view of an issue.

Cities and counties in California have the authority to place conditions on the operation of alcohol outlets, both on-sale and off-sale. The authority granting local municipalities to use the conditional use permit (CUP) for regulating alcohol outlets is granted by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) code, SS 23790-23791. The relationships between the state ABC authority to regulate the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages and the local control over the use of the land is in constant flux as nwe court decisions are rendered.

An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Petaluma repealing chapter 10.64 of the Petalunma Municipal Code entitled "Minor Alcohol Offense/Loud Parties" and adopting a new chapter 10.64 entitled "Social Host Ordinance."

An ordinance adding new chapter 9.84 to the Berkeley Municipal Code mandating responsible beverage service training.

An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Natonal City amending the National City Municipal Code by adding chapter 10.31 pertaining to responsible beverage sales and service.

An ordinance of the City of Rohnert Park adding a chapter 8:34, "Using Permits for Alcoholic Beverage Establishments," to the Rohnert Park Municipal Code to adopt a use permit requirement for alcohol beverage establishments.

An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Petaluma amending title 10 of the Petaluma Municipal code by adding chapter 10.68 entitled "Alcohol-Related Nuisance Ordinance."