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Research Into Action - Eliminating Tobacco Retailers Near Schools May Reduce Teen Smoking

Current research indicates that controlling or minimizing the amount of alcohol outlets in a specific area may reduce a variety of alcohol-related problems. Unfortunately few studies exist on the possible impact of controlling or reducing the number of tobacco retailers in a given area. Some research suggests that the density and proximity of tobacco retailers may influence tobacco use initiation among youth if they have easy access. The American Journal of Public Health recently published a study contributing to this body of research. A 2009 article, Density of tobacco retailers near schools: Effects on tobacco use among students, examines the relationship between the density and proximity of tobacco retailers near schools and adolescent cigarette smoking.

Issues: Smoking
Research Into Action - State Minimum Legal Drinking Age Laws and Impaired Driving Policies Save Lives

Fatalities from operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol remain a significant problem and community concern in the United States. A study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research provides further support that enacting and enforcing state minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws and impaired-driving policies reduces alcohol-related fatal crashes among young drivers. The findings in this research highlight the need for all states to implement such laws. The research underscores the continued need for community coalitions to focus efforts on advocating and enforcing state MLDA laws, to enact local related policy and to strengthen existing state laws.

Issues: Minimum Drinking Age Law, Drunk/Impaired driving
Research Into Action - Community-Campus Partnerships Help Reduce Underage Drinking and Associated Problems

Why do some coalitions leave college campuses out of their community plans? Campuses and communities often are viewed as separate structures, consisting of their own unique issues and agendas. But, while some issues may be dealt with separately most campus and community problems are heavily intertwined. Underage drinking, for example, affects both the college campus and surrounding community. High concentrations of young people on a college campus may affect high school-aged youths’ access to alcohol and the youths’ perceptions of drinking). A growing body of research supports the collaborative approach used in campus-community partnerships.

Issues: Underage drinking, College Drinking
Research Into Action - Acculturation Impacts Hispanic Adolescents’ Risk of Substance Abuse

New research published in the Journal of Immigrant Minority Health supports the theory that acculturation discrepancies exist and may impact Hispanic adolescents’ substance use behaviors. Acculturation refers to a process where individuals from a particular culture adopt the norms, values, attitudes and behaviors of individuals from another culture. Typically acculturation occurs when a person’s culture of origin gradually changes to become more similar to that of the host society or dominant culture, but the process can go both ways.
Research Into Action - Study Suggests Early Intervention Can Reduce Marijuana Use Initiation Among Youth

Parents have the greatest opportunity to affect a young person's decision to use marijuana during early adolescence. After age 15, youth tend to base the decision more on peer influence. This research, published in Substance Use & Misuse indicates that parents must reach young people before age 13 to increase the likelihood that the youth will choose against initiating marijuana use. It is the first study to demonstrate and identify the different risk and protective factors associated with marijuana initiation change throughout an adolescent's development.
Research Into Action - Recruiting and Sustaining the Participation of Coalition Members

Community-based coalitions rely heavily on the participation of their diverse members. Given this, researchers have identified factors that influence initial decision to participate in coalition activities such as group identification, a drive to lead and organize, direct or indirect monetary benefits, and the desire to improve community well-being. Knowledge is important in developing a member base, what becomes more critical is the level at which those members participate. A study recently published in the American Journal of Community Psychology sought to answer this question, and provide insight on how to increase member participation within coalitions.
Research Into Action - Strategic Planning and Implementation Key to Coalition Success

Strategic planning—and more importantly, complete implementation of a strategic plan—are key to creating community change, according to a study that tracked two urban neighborhood coalitions in the Kansas City, Mo., area. This study specifically examined whether increases in rates of community change were related to a community strategic planning process.
Research Into Action - Children’s Opinions May Predict Youth Alcohol/Tobacco Use

A new study sheds light into the way that communities may be able to more closely monitor developing use of alcohol and cigarette among youth. The study tracked children’s opinions of smokers and drinkers, and their knowledge of how many of their peers and friends use alcohol and cigarettes, to see if they could predict adolescent use of alcohol and cigarettes.

Issues: Underage drinking
Research Into Action - Promoting Youth-Adult Partnerships in Coalition Decisionmaking

Youth involvement is a vital element of community planning and organizing around the prevention of youth substance abuse. As such, community anti-drug coalitions are finding new ways to engage youth in a variety of coalition activities. While some coalitions have successfully built youth involvement into the structure of the coalition itself; creating components such as a Youth Action Board, where youth actively participate in all coalition decisions, many coalitions have yet to build such infrastructure around youth involvement. This is not surprising since doing so may present numerous challenges, particularly for those coalitions that have been in existence for many years.

Issues: Abuse
Research Into Action - Neighborhood Leadership Key to Increased Community Involvement

Why is it so difficult to get local residents involved in coalition work? What factors might contribute to this problem? The answers are complex, but new research may help coalitions effectively plan to get and keep residents involved. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Community Psychology describes how three conditions: community capacity, community readiness and neighborhood problems, may affect the type and level of resident involvement in communitybuilding initiatives.