What Faith Organizations Can Do

The role of faith organizations in reducing youth access to alcohol

In 2001, 43% of Americans worshipped regularly and 70% held memberships in churches or synagogues. (1) According to Svendsen and Griffin, "Faith institutions have the collective potential to touch a broader range of the community than any other sector because they touch people of all ages, economic statuses, and ethnicities." (2)

The involvement of faith organizations in the prevention of underage alcohol use is important because of their presence in individuals' lives, their credibility in the community, and their ability to mobilize large and diverse groups of people.

Typically, faith organizations have focused their efforts on identifying and responding to members of the congregation who experience alcohol-related problems, such as alcohol dependency or dealing with an alcoholic parent or spouse. Interventions generally include pastoral counseling and/or referral to support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Al-A-teen. While it is important to respond to alcohol-related problems among members of the congregation, it is also necessary to take steps to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

To prevent underage alcohol use, faith organizations can be a strong link between prevention organizations, youth, parents and the community by offering education, developing internal policies to prevent teens from accessing alcohol at church events and participating in efforts to keep alcohol away from youth. Although there are a range of activities that faith organizations can do to prevent and respond to alcohol problems, the following discussion focuses primarily on strategies for reducing youth access to alcohol.

• Establish a policy on alcohol use at congregational events. Faith organizations should create policies on alcohol use at their events such as receptions, picnics, and other activities. If the policies permit alcohol use, they should include provisions to prevent teenagers from obtaining the alcohol, such as:
  • Allow alcohol to be served only in a designated location that is inaccessible to young people.
  • Ensure that the alcohol supply is carefully monitored by an adult.
  • Require servers/sellers who dispense alcohol to be trained to check the age identification of people and recognize intoxicated individuals.
  • Parties, workcamps, and overnight lock-ins should also have strict policies that prohibit youth from: 1) bringing alcohol to the event, 2) consuming alcohol at the event, 3) attending the event if they have consumed alcohol prior to the event, or 4) re-entering the event.

• Educate parents on their role in preventing youth access to alcohol. Through various formats (newsletters, parent groups, bulletins, etc.), congregations can provide parents with tips and advice on creating family practices and policies to reduce youth access to alcohol. For example, congregations can inform people about the legal consequences of providing alcohol to people under 21 who are not their own children. They can also provide tips for hosting alcohol-free parties for teens, supervising teenage gatherings, and monitoring the family's alcohol supply.
  
  
• Initiate and participate in community-wide efforts to reduce youth access to alcohol. In addition to internal steps that faith organizations can take to reduce youth access to alcohol and prevent teen drinking, they can extend alcohol prevention efforts beyond their walls by initiating or participating in community-wide prevention efforts to reduce youth access to alcohol. For example, faith organizations can:
  • Educate community members about the importance of preventing underage access to alcohol.
  • Conduct compliance checks with local police to identify alcohol merchants who illegally sell alcohol to underage individuals. (see compliance checks)
  • Meet with alcohol merchants to discuss concerns related to youth access to alcohol.
  • Mobilize their congregation to support alcohol prevention ordinances and attend and/or testify at city council or county board meetings.
  • Network with other faith organizations to learn about and participate in their alcohol prevention activities.

Resources:
Building a team ministry: A congregational approach to substance abuse.

Contact:
Minnesota Prevention Resource Center
2720 Highway 10 NE
Mounds View, MN 55112
1-800-782-7878
http://www.emprc.org

References:

1. U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical abstracts of the U.S., 2001. U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed online on 9/6/02 at: www.census.gov/prod/www/INDEX00C.HTM
2. Svensen R, Griffin T. Alcohol and other drugs: A planning guide for congregations. Health Promotion Resources, St. Paul, MN. Prepared for the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center (MPRC), 1991.
   

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