The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention Strategies

acy Merchant Education Multi-jurisdictional Agreement Outlet D

ualitative or Anecdotal Data Quantitative Data Shoulder Tap Social Host Law Social Ma

Source Investigation Program Synar Checks Teen Party Ordinance Zero Tolerance 24

olerance Policy 4 Ps of Marketing Alcohol Purchase Survey CleanAir Laws Community

Beyond the Basics: Topic-Specific Publications for Coalitions

The Coalition Impact:

Environmental Prevention

Strategies

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute

About this Publication

CADCA’s National Coalition Institute published a

series of seven primers that coincide with and

help coalitions navigate the elements of the Sub-

stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin-

istration’s Strategic Prevention Framework. This

is the first in a new series—Beyond the Basics:

Topic-Specific Publications for Coalitions—that

work in conjunction with the Primer Series. They

are meant to assist coalitions expand their

knowledge about planning for population-level

change. As is true with the primers, they work

as a set, however, each also can stand alone.

This publication provides an overview of the envi-

ronmental strategies approach to community

problem solving. It includes real examples of ef-

forts where environmental strategies aimed at

preventing and reducing community problems

related to alcohol and other drugs were imple-

mented. No one approach or set of strategies

will fix every community problem, but with an

appropriate environmental assessment, a coali-

tion can determine what aspects of environmen-

tal prevention will best serve their community.

Topics covered in this publication include:

WHAT are environmental strategies and why are

coalitions best suited to plan and implement

them?

WHAT data collection and analysis is essential in

the investigation of environmental conditions

of a community to effectively choose and

implement strategies?

HOW can a coalition build capacity to commit to

the long-term investment that is necessary

for environmental strategies to succeed?

WHERE do environmental strategies fit into a

comprehensive community plan?

HOW will your coalition evaluate the success and

impact of environmental strategies?

CADCA’s National Coalition Institute

The National Community Anti-Drug Coalition

Institute (Institute), a part of the Community

Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), serves

as a center for training, technical assistance,

evaluation, research and capacity building for

community anti-drug coalitions throughout the

United States. The Institute was created in 2002

by an act of Congress and supports coalition

development and growth for Drug Free Commu-

nities Support Program (DFC) grantees and other

community coalitions.

The Institute offers an exceptional opportunity to

move the coalition field forward. Its mission and

objectives are ambitious but achievable. In short,

the Institute helps grow new, stronger and

smarter coalitions.

Drug Free Communities Support Program

In 1997, Congress enacted the Drug-Free Com-

munities Act to provide grants to community-

based coalitions that serve as catalysts for multi-

sector participation to reduce local substance

abuse problems. As of September 2010, more

than 1,700 local coalitions have received or are

receiving funding to work on two main goals:

• Reduce substance abuse among youth

and, over time, among adults by

addressing the factors in a community

that increase the risk of substance abuse

and promoting the factors that minimize the

risk of substance abuse.

• Establish and strengthen collaboration

among communities, private nonprofit

agencies and federal, state, local and

tribal governments to support the efforts

of community coalitions to prevent and

reduce substance abuse among youth.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH 1

What are environmental strategies? 1

Roots of environmental approaches 1

Advantages of environmental strategies 1

CHAPTER 2: LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE 4

The Public Health Model 4

Institute of Medicine Model—A useful planning approach for coalitions 4

A broader look at policy 5

Coalitions: The organizational structure for environmental strategies 5

CHAPTER 3: THE SPF AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES 10

Cultural implications in assessing the community and planning strategies 10

Environmental assessment 11

Environmental scanning 12

Assess conditions with marketing’s 4 Ps 12

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 12

Understanding problem environments 13

Involving youth in assessment 14

Commitment through capacity building 14

Whom do we need around the table? 14

Bolstering coalition leaders 16

The planning process 17

CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION IN ACTION 19

Seven strategies for community change: A brief explanation 19

Implementing environmental approaches using the seven strategies 20

Media and environmental approaches 22

Evaluation of environmental strategy implementation 24

Conclusion 26

COALITION EXAMPLES

Shawnee County Meth Awareness Project 3

North Coastal Prevention Coalition 6

Hood River County Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention Coalition 15

Salt Lake City Mayor’s Coalition on Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs 25

ENDNOTES 29

GLOSSARY 29

RESOURCES 31

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 1

This publication launches a new series—Beyond

the Basics: Topic-Specific Publications for Coali-

tions—that work in conjunction with the Institute’s

popular Primer Series, based on the Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra-

tion’s (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework

(SPF). It can help your coalition start planning and

implementing environmental strategies, but it

does not provide a set design for any individual

community or coalition.

The publication includes brief case studies from

four local coalitions that have implemented envi-

ronmental strategies to successfully address their

communities’ most pressing issues. Each group

used an environmental approach, but none imple-

mented identical strategies in the same ways.

Environmental strategies must be tailored to local

community characteristics. Your coalition must ad-

dress the root causes and local conditions around

the specific problem you are trying to change.

What are environmental strategies?

Grounded in the field of public health, which em-

phasizes the broader physical, social, cultural and

institutional forces that contribute to the problems

that coalitions address, environmental strategies

offer well-accepted prevention approaches that

coalitions use to change the context (environment)

in which substance use and abuse occur.

Environmental strategies incorporate prevention

efforts aimed at changing or influencing commu-

nity conditions, standards, institutions, structures,

systems and policies. Coalitions should select

strategies that lead to long-term outcomes. In-

creasing fines for underage drinking, moving to-

bacco products behind the counter, not selling

cold, single-serving containers of beer in conven-

ience stores and increasing access to treatment

services by providing Spanish-speaking counselors

are all examples of environmental strategies.

Roots of environmental approaches

Interest in the scientific study of environmental

strategies and the corresponding use of alcohol

policy dates back to the mid-1970s. In the United

States this approach was embraced in the mid-

1980s by communities looking for mechanisms to

address the growing problems of alcohol outlet-

related crime and violence, drinking and driving,

underage access to alcohol and other community-

based alcohol problems.

Three key publications have attracted attention to,

provided a foundation for and offered evidence

that by implementing environmental approaches,

communities and local municipalities develop suf-

ficient power to reduce alcohol-related problems.

These publications include:

• Alcohol Control Policies in Public Health

Perspective

—sponsored by the World Health

Organization (WHO), was published in 1975

and drew the attention of governments

around the world that sought to rationally ad-

dress alcohol availability and consumption.

• Alcohol Policy and Public Good

—another

WHO-sponsored book, published in 1994,

opened the door for increased scientific

research into the approach’s efficacy.

• In 2003, Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity—

Research and Public Policy,

provided an

updated summary of the significant litera-

ture on the evidential underpinnings of

environmental approaches.

Today, ample evidence and little doubt exist that

well-conceived and implemented policies—local,

state and national—can reduce population-based

alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems.

Advantages of environmental strategies

Environmental strategies can produce quick wins

and instill commitment toward long-term impact

on practices and policies within a community.

But, they also require substantial commitment

from various sectors of the community to con-

tribute to sustainable community change. Such

approaches potentially reach entire populations

and reduce collective risk. They create lasting

change in community norms and systems,

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 2

producing widespread behavior change and, in

turn, reducing problems for entire communities.

Individual strategies, such as drug education

classes, are based on the premise that substance

abuse develops because of deficits in knowledge

about negative consequences, inadequate resist-

ance skills, poor decision making abilities and low

academic achievement. But these efforts, while

important in a multiple strategy approach, do little

to independently alter the overall environment in

which people live and work.

For example, numerous education campaigns and

public awareness efforts related to heart disease

exist. We are encouraged to avoid certain foods,

exercise daily and get regular check-ups. This in-

formation is familiar and repeated often, yet we

live in a society where heart disease remains an

insidious public health problem.

Telling individuals what to do is different than

limiting food options in grocery stores or providing

exercise breaks for employees. Likewise, simply

telling an individual that substance use/abuse is

dangerous will not necessarily affect their behav-

ior in a significant manner.

Individuals do not become involved with sub-

stances solely on the basis of personal character-

istics. They are influenced by a complex set of

factors, such as institutional rules and regulations,

community norms, mass media messages and

the accessibility of alcohol, tobacco and other

drugs (ATOD). When a comprehensive, multi-

strategy effort is in place, coalitions contribute to

achieving population-level change by focusing on

multiple targets of sufficient scale and scope to

make a difference communitywide.

Costs associated with implementation, monitoring

and political action within a community can be

considerably lower than those associated with on-

going education, services and therapeutic efforts

applied to individuals. The bottom line is environ-

mental strategies are effective in modifying the

settings where a person lives, which plays a part

in how that person behaves.

CSAP’s Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT), West CAPT.

Environmental Prevention Strategies: Putting

Theory Into Practice Presentation

, retrieved from web,

http://captus.samhsa.gov/western/resources/ppt/index.cfm

, March 2008.

Figure 1: Prevention strategies attempt to alter two kinds of environments

Strategies Targeting

Individualized Environments

Strategies Targeting the

Shared Environment

Socialize, Instruct, Guide, Counsel

Support, Thwart

ALL YOUTH

Norms Regulations

Availability

Family

School

Faith

Community

Health

Care

Providers

INDIVIDUAL YOUTH

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 3

Lessons Learned:

 Develop actionable steps to implement. Education is necessary to create awareness and start a movement in your

community. However, coalition members and stakeholders need actionable steps to gain momentum.

Create and share the

basic tools needed to achieve success. For example, the Shawnee County coalition, through the Kansas Methamphetamine Pre-

vention Project, provided technical assistance and resources to local communities to address meth production. They developed

a kit with ready-to-use information for neighboring counties to implement similar, but not necessarily identical, strategies.

 Avoid placing blame when bringing others on board. Ask for help and support the efforts of community members. The

Kansas Meth Prevention Project worked with the farming community to reduce access to anhydrous ammonia tanks, taking care

not to blame farmers. The coalition educated farmers on the importance of locking their tanks and obtained funding to pay for

locks that they distributed to the local agricultural community. This demonstrated the coalition’s willingness to work with farmers

instead of pointing the finger and expecting them to implement a strategy without support.

 Be creative when presenting to different groups. Present visuals when possible—in Shawnee County, coalition leaders used

a map to plot the lab seizures in the community which helped fight denial that the drug problem was permeating everyone’s

neighborhoods. Drug seizures were happening throughout the community and did not exclude rural areas, locations near ele-

mentary schools, or the local shopping mall.

 Provide small start-up funds to encourage community development. The average funding received in this case was $900

per county. It served as a catalyst to convene the community. Once people mobilize around an issue, the possibilities are

endless. With the right resources, support and the proper strategies aligned, people can do much with a little money.

Residents in Shawnee County, Kans., mobilized to address an

increase in the number of methanphetamine (meth) labs

throughout the county. At the time, Kansas law did not prevent

purchasing large amounts of products containing pseudo-

ephedrine, a substance commonly found in over-the-counter

cough and cold medicines and used in meth production. When

two local substance abuse prevention professionals entered a

store and observed a suspicious sale, they reported it to their

Director of Regional Prevention and started to plan a commu-

nity mobilization strategy to address the problem.

Residents of the county formed a coalition—the Shawnee

County Meth Awareness Project—incorporating local and state

government, law enforcement, agriculture, education and busi-

ness, and focusing on reducing local meth production.

The group took advantage of their partnerships and existing

relationships that those partners brought to the table. These

collaborations ensured the coalition a high level of capacity to

reduce meth production locally.

Guided by ongoing community assessment, the group concen-

trated its efforts on limiting access to pseudoephedrine and

anhydrous ammonia—commonly used in meth production. The

coalition’s multiple-strategy approach started with an educa-

tion campaign, concentrating particularly on retail merchants,

residential landlords and hotel/motel managers and the

agriculture community about the issue.

They worked with local farmers to ensure that tanks of anhy-

drous ammonia—designed for use as a fertilizer—remained

locked when not in use. The coalition received funding to sup-

port the farming community by paying for the locks.

The Shawnee County coalition’s broad community reach

resulted in development of new initiatives; one of which grew

into the Kansas Retail Meth Watch Program, a nationally

recognized initiative aimed at deterring theft or purchase

of products used in meth production.

Their local successes led to requests from neighboring counties

that hoped to implement similar strategies. The coalition

then began to provide training and technical assistance to

other communities that wanted to address meth production

and use.

As the movement grew, it gained significant media attention

and opportunities for state-level change emerged. In October

2002, the Kansas Methamphetamine Prevention Project, a

statewide initiative was launched to reduce and prevent pro-

duction and use of meth in the state. The initiative developed

a statewide training program called “Crank it up! Community

Methamphetamine Prevention Training.”

The grassroots mobilization success of the Shawnee County

project demonstrates how community coalitions can create

a “domino effect,” starting at the local level, spreading to

surrounding counties and ultimately producing state- and

national-level results.

The coalition advocated for action from the state legislature

and neighboring states began passing meth precursor laws. In

2005, Kansas passed a law limiting the sale of ephedrine and

pseudoephedrine in retail stores throughout the state. This

local effort has spread throughout the United States and con-

tributed to an overall reduction in the number of meth labs.

SHAWNEE COUNTY METH AWARENESS PROJECT

Selective Prevention Interventions target specific

subgroups that are believed to be at greater risk

for substance abuse than others. Risk groups may

be identified on the basis of biological, psychologi-

cal, social or environmental risk factors known to

be associated with substance abuse and addic-

tion. Interventions are designed to address the

identified risk indicators of the targeted subgroup.

Indicated Prevention Interventions target

individuals who exhibit early signs of substance

use disorders and other problem behaviors associ-

ated with such disorders, including early sub-

stance use, school failure, interpersonal social

problems, delinquency, other anti-social behaviors

and psychological problems such as depression.

Although most environmental strategies are

aimed at the general population (universal), they

also can impact a smaller segment of the commu-

nity. The IOM model is, therefore, a useful frame-

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 4

CHAPTER 2: LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

Figure 2. The Public Health Model

Agent

EnvironmentHost

Alcohol

Physical &

Social Context

Individual

The Public Health Model

The public health model demonstrates that prob-

lems arise through relationships and interactions

among an agent (e.g., the substance, like alcohol

or drugs), a host (the individual drinker or drug

user) and the environment (the social and physical

context of substance use).

For example, health risks from smoking became

clear in 1964 with the Surgeon General’s warning.

This stepped up efforts to implement tobacco edu-

cation and cessation programs. However, signifi-

cant reductions in tobacco consumption occurred

only when strategies were implemented to change

the settings (e.g., airplanes) where the agent (e.g.,

tobacco smoke) and the host (e.g., flight atten-

dants, passengers) came together. Groundbreak-

ing, smoke-free policies implemented by major

airlines led to passage of similar policies in work-

places and public buildings across the country.

Today, many states and localities have enacted

and are enforcing Clean Air Laws and pushing

smoking outside of public buildings and spaces.

Institute of Medicine Model—A useful

planning approach for coalitions

In 1994, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposed

a new framework for classifying prevention. The

IOM model divides the continuum of care into

three parts: prevention, treatment and mainte-

nance. Prevention interventions are divided into

three classifications--universal, selective and indi-

cated. Although the system distinguishes between

prevention and treatment, intervention in this con-

text is used in its generic sense.

Universal Prevention Interventions address the

general population with programs aimed at delay-

ing substance use and preventing abuse. Partici-

pants are not specifically recruited for the pre-

vention activities. Universal prevention activities

also can include efforts to bring community mem-

bers together to plan for services and to change

norms and laws reducing risk factors and promot-

ing a more protective environment.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 5

work for classifying environmental efforts. By

improving systems to better support a subset of

the community—for example, individuals return-

ing to the community after incarceration—bene-

fits can be derived for the former inmates, their

families and the population as a whole.

A broader look at policy

Environmental approaches tend to center on

policy that shapes perception in communities,

homes or workplaces in local, state or national

venues. Environmental strategies focus on pop-

ulations and affect large numbers of people

through the adoption of systems and policy

change and ongoing effective enforcement.

Policies, formal or informal, can be enacted

locally. Informal policy change can occur at a

high school, police department or with local mer-

chants. For example, if local alcohol retailers are

willing to attend merchant education sessions

voluntarily, formal policy change is unnecessary.

However, if your community determines that par-

ents and other adults are the main suppliers of

alcohol to underage drinkers, existing ordinances

and laws related to social host issues may require

more formal policy change.

Do not immediately head to the state house to

get laws enacted. In many instances, it is easier

for coalitions to achieve policy success at the

local level—particularly as they relate to alcohol

and underage drinking. Start at home and learn

about existing policies that may simply need more

proactive enforcement.

Continuing enforcement creates lasting environ-

mental change. For example, if the local school

district enacts a 24/7 Zero Tolerance Policy,

prohibiting students from consuming or posessing

alcoholic beverages, enforcement augments the

environmental work. Consistent enforcement for

policy violations leads to widespread adoption.

Just passing a policy does not ensure that a com-

munity will change. Enforcement of a policy that

responds to a community problem provides the

greatest impact. The consequences for violating

a policy must be appropriate and swift.

Coalitions: The organizational structure

for environmental strategies

Environmental strategies are carried out most

effectively in the context of a community problem-

solving process conducted by coalitions. Coalitions

can harness the community’s power to create

change. A well-functioning coalition engages

residents, law enforcement, schools, nonprofit

organizations, the faith community, youth and

other key groups to work in tandem to address

community concerns. Coalitions are well posi-

tioned to ensure sustained action on pervasive

community problems that have eluded simple

solutions. And, coalitions enable residents to

contribute to making a difference and creating the

political will necessary to influence development

and implementation of lasting policy.

Finally, environmental strategies are cost effective

given the potential magnitude of change. Commu-

nity mobilization is central to creating population-

level change. After data have been collected and

analyzed, coalitions must assess their capacity to

effectively address the identified problem(s). This

is especially important when using environmental

approaches. Historically, many coalitions have

consisted largely of members whose focus has

been working with individuals, families and other

small groups to elicit change in knowledge, skills

and attitudes. Implementing environmental strate-

gies requires different skills, such as community

organizing and/or development, and the involve-

ment of different community actors.

Individual strategies Environmental strategies

Focus on behavior and Focus on policy and policy

behavior change change

Focus on the relationship Focus on the social, political

between the individual and and economic context of

alcohol/drug-related problems alcohol/drug-related problems

Short-term focus on Long-term focus on policy

program development development

Individual generally does not People gain power by

participate in decision making acting collectively

Individual as audience Individual as advocate

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 6

Lessons Learned:

 Focus on local policies first. You do not have to change state laws or create ordinances to make environmental changes.

Businesses also have the power to change policies. In this case, the coalition approached street fair promoters, getting

them to understand the scope of the problem. They presented pictures and data, helping them to see the value in banning

products with pro-drug messages.

 Monitor enforcement of policy. Once a policy change is made, the work is not over because having a policy in writing, does

not guarantee enforcement! The

NCPC members continue to be the “eyes and ears” at street festivals to ensure that vendors

are following the policy. Your coalition may have to take responsibility for such surveillance to guarantee compliance. Law en-

forcement in communities often is stretched very thin and they appreciate assistance.

 Take advantage of windows of opportunity for change. It often is difficult to mobilize people around a particular issue

unless a significant event is involved. These events can be great levers for changing community norms and attitudes and to

get people on board with your coalition’s proposed strategies. In this case, one festival helped raise visibility of the problem.

Document it. Take pictures and share them with your community through Web-based photo sharing sites such as Flickr.

 Make it easy for partners to get on board. In this case, the coalition went to the street fair promoters with a plan. They told

them that the coalition would monitor vendor compliance and would bring this information back to the promoters. The promoters

only needed to agree to change the policy language. Offer support to partners. Business people will be more willing to agree to

your terms if it does not seem like an extra burden for them.

The North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC) serving

North San Diego County, including the cities of Carlsbad,

Oceanside and Vista, Calif., developed a comprehensive

plan to address youth marijuana use when assessments

revealed that more San Diego County youth smoked mari-

juana than cigarettes. At the time, the community envi-

ronment was saturated with pro-drug messages on the

radio, in retail stores and at local street fairs. As part of

their plan, the coalition collaborated with a countywide

initiative called HARM (Health Advocates Rejecting Mari-

juana) to eliminate messages portraying marijuana use

as “fun” and “harmless.”

The county holds about 40 public festivals each year,

making the problem visible to the general community,

particularly youth. NCPC leaders determined that they

could have success in eliminating drug paraphernalia

and pro-drug items at local street fairs.

When a music festival, saturated with pro-marijuana mes-

sages came to Oceanside, drawing large crowds of youth

and young adults, the coalition saw a prime opportunity

to document the problem. Coalition members went to

the festival and took a collection of photographs they

used later to advocate for their position and display the

magnitude of the problem.

This visual documentation proved extremely helpful when

the coalition approached the city council to amend an

existing “headshop” ordinance, to require drug parapher-

nalia, such as bongs and pipes, to be sold inside licensed

buildings. The city council agreed to the amendment, but

the coalition realized this was only part of the problem.

The original ordinance did not prevent street vendors from

selling and displaying items such as t-shirts, jewelry and

posters that sent messages to local youth that could be

construed as supporting marijuana use.

The coalition went to the Chamber of Commerce, the

sponsor of “Harbor Days,” an annual festival held at the

Oceanside Harbor. They believed that if they could compel

the “Harbor Days” event planners to change their policies,

others might follow. The coalition worked with the Cham-

ber of Commerce to add language to their vendor policy

banning vendors from selling “tobacco products, to-

bacco/drug paraphernalia or any item that promotes the

use of illicit substances.” This was a huge success, but

many more festivals remained. The coalition had to be cre-

ative. Instead of pushing for an ordinance, they decided to

get street fair promoters on their side.

One company was responsible for sponsoring most street

fairs across North San Diego County. The coalition called

the promoters to seek voluntary adoption of a policy

against the sale of pro-drug items. As they hoped, the

change made by “Harbor Days,” led the promoter to

voluntarily ban the pro-drug items from other fairs.

These efforts led the coalition to successfully advocate

environmental change at 14 fairs throughout the North

County. They continue to monitor activity, ensuring that

festivals are positive environments for families and youth.

NORTH COASTAL PREVENTION COALITION

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 7

Think about coalition membership in terms of a

business. Successful companies recruit and hire

employees only after an analysis of their skills and

abilities. Within a company, leadership strives to

collectively gather the best mix of individuals who,

working together, leverage the breadth of their

skills and perform in a cohesive manner. New

projects may mean new employees or an adjust-

ment in positions. Approach coalition work in the

same way: a company, with a set of leaders

(Board of Directors) and divisions (subcommittees)

engaged in planning and implementing the work,

while keeping common goals and measures of

success in sharp focus.

Do your homework

Coalitions that are planning to implement environmental strategies must do a considerable amount of investiga-

tion to learn what formal and informal policies exist that influence environmental factors. For example, not know-

ing local ordinances related to alcohol and tobacco will hinder progress. Coalitions should learn about state and

local laws related to the sale of alcohol and tobacco products. In other words, coalitions must do their homework.

It becomes the coalition’s job to know everything that might be helpful.

Examples of homework for coalitions:

• Locate and read your state’s alcohol/tobacco laws

• Locate and read local alcohol/tobacco ordinances/policies

• Understand the process for obtaining an alcohol/tobacco retail license

• Understand the process for enforcement of alcohol/tobacco retail licenses

• Understand the process for creating and modifying local land use regulations, i.e., zoning

• Learn about local law enforcement agencies and their roles within your community (i.e., jurisdictions,

current efforts)

• Learn about the roles and responsibilities of judicial officers (i.e., magistrates, judges) in your community

• Learn the political process in your community (i.e., election cycles, who is currently serving and their

agendas, etc.)

• Conduct a local/state policy analysis (what already exists)

• Conduct a power analysis in your community (who has the power to change policy)

• Determine what other local agencies are doing to address the problem your coalition is concerned about

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 8

ALCOHOL—Public Policies

Yes No

Excise taxes (local)

Limits on hours or days of sale

Restrictions of density, location, or types of outlets

Mandatory server training and licensing

Dram shop and social host liability

Restrictions on advertising and promotion

Mandatory warning signs and labels

Restrictions on consumption in public places

Prevention of preemption of local control of alcohol regulation (home rule)

Minimum bar entry age

Keg registration/tagging ordinances

Compulsory compliance checks for minimum purchase age and administrative

penalties for violations

Establishment of minimum age for sellers

ALCOHOL—Organizational Policies

Restrictions on alcohol advertisements (media)

Restrictions on alcohol use at work and work events (businesses)

Restrictions on sponsorship of special events (communities, stadiums)

Police walkthroughs at alcohol outlets

Undercover outlet compliance checks (law enforcement agencies)

Responsible beverage service policies (outlets)

Mandatory checks of age identification (businesses)

Server training (businesses)

Incentives for checking age identification (businesses)

Prohibition of alcohol on school grounds or at school events (schools)

Enforcement of school policies (schools)

Prohibition of beer kegs on campus (colleges)

Establishment of enforcement priorities against adults who illegally provide

alcohol to youth

Sobriety checkpoints (law enforcement agencies)

Media campaigns about enforcement efforts (media)

Identification of source of alcohol consumed prior to driving-while-intoxicated arrests

(law enforcement agencies)

Checklist of policy indicators for alcohol,

tobacco and other drugs

This checklist can help you to assess the number and types of policies within your community

and where you might best extend your efforts.

Source: Center for Prevention Research and Development, Institute of Government & Public Affairs,

University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Retreived from the Internet at

http://www.cprd.uiuc.edu/Pep/docs/Checklist_of_Policy_Indicators.RTF

, March 2008.

able 1.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 9

TOBACCO—Public Policies

Yes No

Excise taxes (local)

Tobacco sales licensing system

Prohibition of smoking in public places

Prevention of preemption of local control of tobacco sales

Restrictions on advertising and promotion

Ban on vending machines

Compulsory compliance checks for minimum purchase age and

administrative penalties for violations

Minimum age sales of age 18

Warning labels

Mandatory seller training

Ban on self - service sales (all tobacco behind the counter)

Minimum age for sellers

Penalty for underage use

TOBACCO—Organizational Policies

Establishment of smoke-free settings (restaurants, workplaces, hospitals, stadiums,

malls, day care facilities)

Counter advertising (media)

Restrictions on sponsorship of special events (communities, colleges, stadiums)

Prohibition of tobacco use on school grounds, in buses and at school events

Enforcement of school policies (schools)

Mandatory checks for age identification (businesses)

Seller training (businesses)

Incentives for checking age identification (businesses)

Undercover shopper or monitoring program (businesses)

OTHER DRUGS—Public Policies

Control of production and distribution

Zoning and building codes that discourage drug activity and penalties for

property owners who fail to address known drug activity

Mandated school policies

OTHER DRUGS—Organizational Policies

Employer policies (businesses)

Surveillance of high-risk public area (law enforcement agencies, neighborhood

watch groups)

Enforcement of zoning and building codes (law enforcement agencies,

building authorities)

Appropriate design and maintenance of parks, streets, and other public places

(e.g., lighting, traffic flow) (city agencies, housing authorities)

Enforcement of school drug policies (schools)

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 10

In this chapter, we take a look at the

elements of the Strategic Prevention

Framework (SPF) and how each re-

lates to environmental approaches.

No “cookie cutter” response to envi-

ronmental strategies exists. You can-

not select a “model” program and

hope it will work in your community.

You must do your homework—study

your community, know the people,

the neighborhoods and, yes, the local

context. Then your coalition can craft

environmental strategies tailored to

your community characteristics.

CADCA utilizes the SPF to assist

community coalitions in developing

the infrastructure needed for

community-based, public health

approaches that can lead to effective

and sustainable reductions in alco-

hol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD)

use and abuse. The elements shown

Figure 3, at right, include:

• Assessment. Collect data to de-

fine problems, resources, and

readiness within a geographic area to

address needs and gaps.

• Capacity. Mobilize and/or build capacity

within a geographic area to address needs.

• Planning. Develop a comprehensive strategic

approach that includes policies, programs,

and practices creating a logical, data-driven

plan to address problems identified in

the assessment.

• Implementation. Implement evidence-based

prevention strategies, programs, policies

and practices.

• Evaluation. Measure the impact of the SPF

and the implementation of strategies,

programs, policies and practices.

The elements of sustainability and cultural compe-

tence—central to community-based approaches—

are shown in the center of the graphic indicating

their importance to each of the other elements.

Cultural implications in assessing the

community and planning strategies

Coalitions considering implementation of environ-

mental strategies need to work with diverse popu-

lations within their communities. Representatives

from those communities must be involved as early

as possible to avoid miscommunication or percep-

tions that “outsiders” want to change their norms,

traditions, policies or environments. Environmen-

tal strategies planned without consideration of

cultural impact will not be accepted by the larger

community and most likely will not produce the

desired results. Such involvement also requires

that the coalition commit to fostering cultural

competence at all levels of activity. The Institute’s

Cultural Competence Primer may help your

coalition and is available in PDF format online at

www.cadca.org

CHAPTER 3: THE SPF AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES

Figure 3. SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 11

Note: in many communities across the country,

problem environments tend to be concentrated in

economically disadvantaged, minority neighbor-

hoods. These areas often have a high concentra-

tion of liquor outlets, liquor and tobacco billboards

and advertisements, as well as abandoned hous-

ing that foster illicit drug use. These communities

often are marginalized and disenfranchised and

high-risk conditions exist that would not be toler-

ated in more affluent neighborhoods. Community

coalitions must involve formal and informal lead-

ers from such communities to bring about mean-

ingful environmental change that will lead to im-

proved community health in areas that are dispro-

portionally impacted by myriad problems.

Carefully consider how your coalition will address

issues of cultural diversity and competence as you

work through the elements of the SPF. For exam-

ple, how will you conduct an accurate assessment

of diverse sectors of your community? How will

you ensure broad representation of minority popu-

lations in your coalition? How will you build capac-

ity in economically disadvantaged communities?

How your coalition responds to these issues likely

will determine your ultimate success in imple-

menting environmental strategies and reducing

substance abuse rates in your community.

Environmental assessment

Coalitions should take the necessary time to

complete an assessment that includes key factors

to determine the most appropriate environmental

strategies for a community. Create a picture of

the state of affairs locally and surface problems

the community sees as its most pressing issues.

Move beyond just collecting student consumption

and attitudinal data for a more detailed under-

standing of the deep-rooted causes in the commu-

nity. The Institute’s Assessment Primer provides

in-depth information on how to complete a com-

munity assessment and is available in PDF format

online at www.cadca.org

Data collection can present challenges. Coalitions

should seek data on their targeted geographic

area and/or create data that are aggregated down

to the level they need (i.e., zip codes, a town, etc.).

When searching for data, remember to collect

them at the smallest level necessary to thoroughly

understand the issues in the target population or

community. It may be necessary to dig deeper as

your data investigation progresses. If the county

has been chosen as the targeted area, then col-

lecting county-level data is a good place to start.

Today’s approach to environmental strategies had

beginnings more than 150 years ago when Dr.

John Snow—a pioneer in the science of epidemiol-

ogy—was able to stem an outbreak of Asiatic

cholera in South London by tracing it to a single

source of polluted water.

By interviewing families of victims where the out-

break occurred, he was able to identify a single

pump as the epicenter of the outbreak. And, by

creating a map that showed all the pumps in the

South London area in relation to cholera deaths,

he convinced authorities to remove the pump han-

dle, stopping the spread of cholera immediately.

This example of the benefits of well-researched

epidemiology forms the foundation for environ-

mental assessments being conducted by coali-

tions today. Snow used both qualitative data

(personal interviews) and quantitative data

(mapping locations of deaths) to make his case.

Further, he looked at where the deaths were

most concentrated to pinpoint the source of

the infection and compel skeptical policymakers

to take action.

Community assessment

Issues may be considered “pressing” when:

a. The problem occurs frequently (FREQUENCY)

b. The problem has lasted for a while (DURATION)

c. The problem affects many people (SCOPE)

d. The problem is intense (SEVERITY)

e. The problem deprives people of legal or human rights

(SOCIAL IMPORTANCE)

f. The problem is perceived to be important (PERCEPTION).

University of Kansas Community Tool Box, retrieved from the Internet

ctb.ku.edu

, March 2008. Used with permission.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 12

Environmental scanning

Environmental scanning is a useful assessment

method coalitions can employ to gather visible in-

formation on local conditions surrounding alcohol,

tobacco and other drugs. In determining the envi-

ronmental strategies that best fit your community,

coalitions may find it valuable to physically assess

the landscape. Using the context of substance

use/abuse as a starting point, coalitions can

become sensitive to environmental cues evident

when viewing the community context.

To conduct an environmental scan, your coalition

must first develop a methodology to document

the information. This includes questions you want

answered and the ability to collect additional infor-

mation that comes to the forefront during the

scanning process. Recruit coalition members and

enlist other community residents (i.e., law enforce-

ment officers, youth, etc.) who will complete the

scans and bring back the information.

While conducting a scan, visit local alcohol out-

lets, other retail and commercial properties, resi-

dential neighborhoods, parks and recreation areas

(rivers, streams, wooded areas, etc.). Collect infor-

mation about what you see, including the number

of billboards, advertising, lighting, signage, loca-

tion of police and fire stations, schools, day care

centers, churches and other physical elements of

the community. Take photographs and post the on

your coalition’s website, blog or social networking

site such as Flickr or Photobucket (photo sharing

sites). Use the data gathered to further inform

your assessment process and alert your coalition

membership of environmental elements that were

not previously discovered.

Assess conditions with marketing’s 4 Ps

When engaging in environmental scanning, work

to find conditions that make illegal or excessive

substance use and abuse easier. A concept known

as the marketing mix, or marketing’s four Ps, can

help identify issues your coalition may need to

address. Consider:

Price: How much does a 22-ounce beer cost when

compared to a 12-ounce can of soda? Is alcohol

less expensive in certain settings or time of day?

What is the excise tax on tobacco?

Product: Do specific products appeal to certain

populations (i.e., alcopops or flavored ciga-

rettes)? Is beer provided in single cans with a

high alcohol content?

Promotion: What Happy Hour regulations exist

(i.e., time, price of alcohol, etc.)? Does the com-

munity allow “2 for 1 specials?” Are there com-

munity festivals that revolve around alcohol

use? What are the regulations related to free

samples of wine at the grocery store or chewing

tobacco on a military base?

Place: Is beer next to soda in the cooler of local

convenience stores? Do “beer caves” make

large amounts of cold beer available? Are prod-

ucts displayed where they can be stolen easily?

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

In addition to the data sources already listed, the

prevention field has sophisticated technology that

can further illustrate the context of the environ-

ment and its current conditions.

Figure 4. Marketing’s Four Ps

The marketing mix, or 4 Ps of marketing, can help coalitions

determine where in the community change needs to occur. For

a community environmental approach, the target market seen

above informs initiative planning and implementation. Graphic

adapted from

NetMBA.com

Product

Place Promotion

Price

TARGET

MARKET

Through Geographic Information Systems

(GIS), information can be digitally mapped,

creating visual displays that indicate problem

environments or “hot spots” of activity. For ex-

ample, GIS mapping can have one layer that

shows the locations of alcohol outlets across

a county; a second that indicates areas where

underage drinking violations have occurred

and a third illustrating crimes including van-

dalism, public intoxication and loitering. In

areas where the data are concentrated, a

coalition can pinpoint an area of high activity

where environmental factors should be inves-

tigated further. Where are alcohol retail out-

lets and crime rates most concentrated? GIS

mapping provides correlations among data

sets, so communities can determine problem

settings and move toward addressing the en-

vironmental factors that create opportunities

for high-risk behaviors and related crime.

Learn more about GIS mapping on the Find

Youth Information website, www.Find

YouthInfo.gov. Many states and law enforce-

ment and military agencies utilize GIS map-

ping in their day-to-day operations. Check

with your local police or National Guard

Bureau for help in compiling GIS maps for your

community. See the Resources Section on

page 31 for more information.

Understanding problem environments

For success in planning environmental strategies,

determine what specific locations in the commu-

nity might be considered high-risk or problematic.

For example, during the course of a community

assessment that includes environmental investiga-

tion (i.e., environmental scanning and GIS map-

ping), a community discovers that there is a high

density of alcohol outlets within a two-block area

of the downtown district. In that area, crime, such

as vandalism, noise ordinance violations and drug

dealing, also are significant. Understanding this, a

coalition may identify environmental factors—i.e.,

overgrown vacant lots or bars that allow underage

patrons to drink—that must be addressed.

In some instances, a single outlet can wreak

havoc on an entire community. GIS mapping can

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 13

show how one “bad apple” can affect the commu-

nity. Dealing with that one location might improve

conditions in the entire community.

Consider demographic and geographic features

within the environmental context. Pay close atten-

tion to the following:

• Lakes and rivers: Are youth allowed to use

their parents’ boats on the water with little or

no supervision? Are boat patrols a regular

part of enforcement activities?

• Homes with large land areas: Are these

areas ideal for underage drinking parties?

• Homes with basements: Can youth easily

conceal a party from negligent adults?

• Youth with working parents: Is supervision

an issue?

• Rural communities: Are the driving distances

long and do they contribute to driving under

the influence? Are open fields or wooded

areas common gathering spots for youth?

Figure 5: Sample GIS map

The map illustrates a GIS map indicating the correlation in the crime

rate (including loitering, vandalism, noise ordinance violations, drug

dealing, public drunkenness and robbery) and alcohol outlet density

in a five county area. Crime rates are shown by color (with darker color

indicating higher crime rates), while alcohol outlets are illustrated by

pins in the map.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 14

• Economically disadvantaged communities:

Are abandoned buildings used for drug

sales or use?

• Major highways/ports: Does your city have a

major highway or port that becomes part of

the trafficking issue and increases the local

supply of illegal drugs?

Again, communities must consider ALL salient

factors when determining where problem environ-

ments are and how to most appropriately plan to

address them.

Involving youth in assessment

Youth involvement in coalitions is essential and

young people can become great “data detectives.”

They may see the community through a different

lens than most adult coalition members. Youth

can be recruited and organized to carry out inter-

views with neighborhood residents, count and

map alcohol and tobacco outlets and locate and

photograph settings to further illustrate local con-

ditions. They can create and administer surveys

and present data in easy-to-understand reports,

and coordinate town hall meetings and recruit

participants. See the case study on page 15 to

learn about how the Hood River Coalition engaged

youth in the environmental assessment process.

The context in which a young person lives certainly

influences his/her behavior and how that context

becomes an influence is different than that of an

adult. With adult support and guidance, youth

have the skills and ability to go out into the com-

munity and collect information. And, their knowl-

edge of technology can be invaluable. Involving

and utilizing their skills in GIS mapping is not only

an effective way to get this type of data collection

underway, but also to educate youth on the princi-

ples of environmental strategies and how physical

design can be modified.

Commitment through capacity building

Successful implementation of environmental

strategies does not happen overnight. Results

take long-term commitment from coalition

members and membership must be adapted and

adjusted as implementation progresses. Imple-

menting environ-

mental strategies

requires more com-

munity involvement

than individual

strategies and re-

quires participation

of those most af-

fected for crafting

and carrying out

solutions.

Coalition members

should become

savvy agents of

change to modify

risky environments

and affect improve-

ments in systems to

discourage alcohol,

drug and tobacco

use. Remember,

the strategies and tactics needed to bring about

environmental change differ from those required

to select and implement programs for individuals.

Coalitions that employ environmental approaches

must learn to generate political capital and garner

support from those in positions of authority.

Elected officials, school and hospital administra-

tors, business and labor union leaders, faith and

cultural organizations and media all have the

power to shape policies and deploy resources.

When such leaders also are coalition members,

they can act as catalysts for change by enlisting

support from others in their sphere of influence.

Encourage them as “champions for change” for

the coalition’s policies and practices.

Whom do we need around the table?

Determine whether your coalition includes all the

stakeholder groups it needs to improve the likeli-

hood that your initiatives will succeed. Using the

problem(s) identified from your community

assessment data as a starting point, ask the fol-

lowing questions to begin to analyze if your coali-

tion membership is comprehensive:

DFC requirements

DFC coalitions must include a

minimum of one member/

representative from each of

these 12 community sectors:

• Youth (persons less than or

equal to 18 years of age)

• Parents

• Business community

• Media

• Schools

• Youth-serving organization

• Law enforcement agencies

• Religious or fraternal

organizations

• Civic and volunteer groups

• Healthcare professionals

• State, local, or tribal

governmental agencies

• Other organizations involved

in reducing substance abuse

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 15

Lessons Learned:

 Involve youth in your coalition work. Youth are powerful and persuasive advocates that can speak on behalf of the

coalition to key leaders and stakeholders in the community. Youth can push the coalition to do the work because they

are anxious for results. Involve them in the assessment and evaluation processto help paint a picture of the

environment, using methods such as GIS mapping, photography and video. However, involving youth takes

planning to facilitate success.

 Build capacity through training opportunities. The coalition’s affiliation to the Oregon Research Institute was a key

component to their success because of the training provided. Never underestimate the power of training. It can greatly

increase a coalition’s chances for success. The coalition leader was taught community mobilization; focusing on specific

skills including working with the media, networking with key leaders, sharing data, and motivating and engaging commu-

nity members. Active youth members also received training that built their capacity to reach their goals.

 Work with your community. The Hood River Coalition had little pushback from the community because of their overall

approach and their deep roots in the community. It is best if you can keep the coalition from being the “bad guy.” Work with

businesses, not against them. Provide incentives and reminders to keep community members involved.

From 1992 to 1999, the Hood River County Alcohol Tobacco

and Other Drug Prevention Coalition, in partnership with the

Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Ore., implemented Proj-

ect SixTeen, to prevent and reduce tobacco use by adults and

youth in their community. The project was comprehensive, in-

volving multiple strategies to reduce access and sales of

tobacco to underage youth, increase perception of harm and

parental disapproval of tobacco and increase tobacco-free

places and events.

What is unique about Hood River’s strategies is they involve-

ment of youth in every step of the coalition process. The

coalition engages youth as agents of change in its action plan

because of the receptive environment toward youth in the

overall community. Involving youth in coalition work empowers

them, builds their leadership skills and bonds them to the

community. They also can show the community youth’s role in

positive community change.

To recruit youth members to assist in developing coalition

activities, coalition leaders began in the local high school.

They identified interested youth in classrooms and student

clubs to help implement strategies and activities to mobilize

the community to reduce exposure to tobacco smoke, de-

crease exposure to tobacco advertising and create barriers to

tobacco sales to underage youth. By first engaging youth in

poster contests, t-shirt exchanges and strategy development,

the coalition strategically planned for how to systematically

achieve the goals of their initiative.

Youth passionately expressed their desire for stronger school

policies prohibiting tobacco use on school grounds, at commu-

nity events and in local restaurants, retail outlets and other

venues where youth gathered. They worked closely with school

administrators and presented to the school board fact-filled

and persuasive arguments supporting a tobacco-free campus.

These efforts led to adoption of policies restricting tobacco

advertising, paraphernalia, use and possession in the schools,

on campus and at school events. The policies applied to all

students, employees and visitors to the school and banned to-

bacco use on campus outside of regular school hours.

The success of these efforts empowered youth to address the

tobacco issue beyond school grounds. They worked to extend

the school policy to include local restaurants, bars, motels and

businesses; advocating for a Smoke-Free Workplace Law in

Hood River County. They presented in front of city council

members, county commissioners, and individual businesses,

among others to influence change. Youth created petitions at

the high school, and surveyed peers, to demonstrate to local

business owners that banning smoking in their facility was a

profitable decision.

As a result of their hard work, 87 percent of local restaurants

and bars voluntarily adopted tobacco-free policies before the

first state laws were passed in 1998. In addition, three local

businesses removed vending machines from their bars and

eight Quick Stop groceries put tobacco products behind the

counter. Once these local businesses were on board, the

coalition youth were prepared to present their successes at

the state level. These efforts helped lead to the passage of

Oregon’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law in 1999. The coalition

continues to engage about 30 youth in prevention work each

year through youth-led education, media and testimony to

local and state policy makers on the impact of second hand

smoke and the need to increase the tobacco tax as an

effective reduction tool.

HOOD RIVER COUNTY ALCOHOL TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUG PREVENTION COALITION

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 16

• Who is directly affected by the problem(s)?

• Who else cares enough to want to solve the

problem(s)?

• Who benefits if the problem is resolved?

• What individuals or groups can resolve the

problem?

Resist the urge to respond to these questions with

the common answer, “Everyone!” Identify specific

environmental conditions that underlie problems

and clearly identify those groups and individuals

who can enhance your efforts—human resources,

community resources, political power, etc.

In the environmental approach, the community is

not simply the site for the intervention, but the ve-

hicle for change. To truly reflect community needs

and solutions, coalitions must include residents

and others who experience the alcohol and other

drug-related problems directly, on a regular basis.

These might include residents living near a park

where drugs are sold and consumed; teenagers

with direct knowledge of underage drinking par-

ties and the effects on their friends and class-

mates; or persons recovering from addiction who

understand how relapse and recovery are affected

by high-risk environments where alcohol and other

drugs are easily available.

People who directly experience a problem are

more invested in finding solutions. In the final

analysis, community members can help sustain

environmental change strategies by overseeing

the implementation of efforts over the long term.

Take the opportunity to learn and cultivate your

community members’ skills, talents, abilities,

interests and resources. Your members will

remain active when they are called to contribute

to the cause. Remember that coalition members

need to feel as though there is purpose and

definition to their role within the coalition.

Bolstering coalition leaders

Coalition leaders set the tone for their coalition’s

capacity to engage the community from grass-

roots to policymakers. As a coalition leader, your

main role is as a community mobilizer. Individuals

in leadership positions must be able to clearly

convey what environmental strategies are and why

they should be a focus of the coalition. Relation-

ship building and collaboration are vital to sustain-

ability and must correspond to the coalition’s

collective vision for long-term commitment and

measurable community change.

Engaging law enforcement and judicial officers

Environmental strategies that require law enforcement agencies can be part of a comprehensive, multi-strategy

approach. The coalition’s role is to investigate existing policies and procedures that can benefit the community.

Learn how your coalition can help local law enforcement in analyzing gaps and enforcing current laws.

Consider tapping into non-traditional law enforcement agencies (i.e., game wardens, natural resource officers,

code enforcement, animal protection, fraud investigators, etc.). These agencies face the same problems as the city

police or county sheriff’s departments, but in a different environment or context. Coalitions in rural communities

should consider these agencies valuable partners in addressing environments that are more difficult to reach.

Judicial officers and systems are a large part of policy enforcement. Without their support, violators may not be

convicted or consequences may not be enforced. Consider how the coalition can make their job easier. Failure to

engage local judicial officers may hinder the forward progression of enforcement operations and create tension

among local law enforcement and the judges they stand before in court. Coalitions can seek Attorney Generals’

opinions to support law enforcement and help them effectively defend cases.

In doing your homework, coalitions should:

• Investigate current arrangements among all local law enforcement agencies regarding enforcement (multi-ju-

risdictional agreements, multi-aid agreements, etc.)

• Work to improve and bolster relationships between law enforcement agencies

• Involve local judicial officers and systems prior to an increase in enforcement operations (i.e., Compliance

Checks, Shoulder Taps, DUI Enforcement)

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 17

Coalitions that provide direct services or whose

membership consists predominantly of service

providing organizations may find environmental

strategies difficult to implement. Thus, grassroots

mobilization that includes residents, parents,

neighborhood associations, formal and informal

leaders is essential. These individuals can become

the voice of change without the fear of repercus-

sion from an employer or appearing to be acting

solely in their employers’ interests.

Informal leaders can be as effective and influen-

tial as formal leaders. For example, residents are

the “eyes and ears” of the community and can

hold policy makers and other institutions account-

able for ensuring that system changes and poli-

cies are enforced on an ongoing basis.

Leaders—formal and informal—can benefit from

training that develops the skills required to plan

and implement environmental strategies. Some

examples include, but are not limited to:

• Community mobilization including relationship

building skills;

• Training on environmental strategies and their

effects;

• Analyzing and developing effective, enforce-

able policies, including the process for develop-

ing local land use restrictions;

• Appropriate engagement of media;

• Knowledge of how local, state and federal gov-

ernment processes operate;

• Knowledge of community policing;

• Knowledge of alcohol and other drug-related

community problems;

• Knowledge of how local decisions are made

and who makes them;

• Strong communication and facilitation skills;

and

• Comfort working in environments with consid-

erable community dialogue and disparate

opinions.

These are skills generally associated with commu-

nity mobilizers—people who motivate others into

action, fade into the background and share credit

for success. Emphasize the community process to

engage residents and key stakeholders in defining

issues and participating in the development and

implementation of environmental solutions.

Your coalition must continue to build its bench

strength, planning for growth and change over

time. Good leaders move coalition partners and

other stakeholders from the simple to the com-

plex, mediate disagreements and coach members

to represent and articulate coalition positions.

The planning process

Like the processes of community assessment and

capacity building, coalition planning works best

when it incorporates multiple sectors of the com-

munity. Coalition leaders must make planning an

inclusive process, beginning with the prioritization

of the root causes identified in the community

assessment and acknowledgement of underlying

conditions, such as high crime locations.

The choice of how to name and frame issues

should reflect what works for your community,

the language that motivates citizens into action

and sets the stage for a comprehensive response

to shared problems. Listening to community

member—beginning with assessment—and

involving them throughout the planning process

lays the strong foundation a coalition needs to

change environments. Refer to the Institute’s

Assessment and Planning Primers for more

information on data collection and developing a

logic model to inform your coalition’s process for

selecting interventions and activities.

Choosing environmental strategies and planning

for their implementation should be carefully

mapped out by the coalition. Again, no single

strategy will provide the desired results and local-

izing strategies is allowable and encouraged. A

carbon copy of what was done in another commu-

nity will not be the best solution for your commu-

nity. To achieve real, long-term success, take the

time to think through what is viable and what will

create the identified changes. See page 18 for a

chart that illustrates examples of environmental

strategies aimed at specific problems.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 18

Strategy Alcohol Tobacco Illicit Drugs

Environmental policies to limit access

Purchase laws

Compliance checks:

Minimum purchase age

laws actively enforced

Removal of cigarette

machines

Laws prohibiting sale,

possession and

distribution

Price controls

Excise tax;

Ban on “2 for 1” drink

specials

Excise tax;

No free tobacco samples

on military bases

Increase supply reduction to

raise prices

Restrictions on retail

sales or sellers

Limit number of sales

licenses within a

county/city/town

Synar checks;

Limit number of sales

licenses;

Fines for selling to youth

Land use ordinances

enforced on blighted/

abandoned properties;

physical design changes

(increase lighting; plant

shrubs, etc.);

restrictions on sale of

pseudoephedrine and

ephedrine and other meth

precursor chemicals

Environmental policies to influence norms

Legal deterrence

Zero Tolerance laws for

youth under 21 years;

You Use/You Lose laws;

Social Host laws

Source Investigation

Programs

Fines for selling tobacco

to youth

Workplace initiatives;

Asset forfeiture laws

Counteradvertising Ban alcohol sponsorship;

Advertising restrictions

Surgeon General’s

Warning/The Truth

Campaign;

Restriction on samples and

coupons;

Ban television advertising

National Anti-Drug Youth

Media Campaign ads/

websites

Adapted from

Environmental Prevention Strategies: An Introduction and Overview

, Deborah A. Fisher, Ph.D.,

used with permission.

Examples of environmental policies for alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs

able 2.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 19

The environmental strategies approach recognizes

that risks associated with substance use are, in

part, a function of the interplay between the envi-

ronments where an individual uses and the sub-

stances he/she uses (agent). In the environmental

approach, place matters. We recognize that man-

aging the availability of alcohol and other drugs in

specific environments impacts the substances in-

dividuals choose and the amount they use. These

decisions determine the level of risk individuals

and communities experience. The ability to shape

individual’s behavior by structuring what is ex-

pected or permitted in specific environments can

reduce alcohol- and other drug-related problems.

Seven strategies for community change:

A brief explanation

Seven methods that can bring about community

change have been adopted as a useful framework

by CADCA’s Institute. Each of these strategies rep-

resents a key element to build and maintain a

healthy community. In the planning process, utilize

all seven strategies to be as comprehensive as

possible to achieve population-level change. When

focusing on implementation of environmental

strategies, consider the types of information, skill-

building and support activities necessary to move

your interventions forward. You will see that the

strategies overlap and reinforce each other.

CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION IN ACTION

Seven strategies to affect community change

1. Provide information—Educational presentations, workshops or seminars, and data or media presentations (e.g., public

service announcements, brochures, billboard campaigns, community meetings, town halls, forums, web-based

communication).

2. Enhance skills—Workshops, seminars or activities designed to increase the skills of participants, members and staff

(e.g., training, technical assistance, distance learning, strategic planning retreats, parenting classes, model programs

in schools).

3. Provide support—Creating opportunities to support people to participate in activities that reduce risk or enhance

protection (e.g., providing alternative activities, mentoring, referrals for services, support groups, youth clubs, parenting

groups, Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous).

4. Enhance access/reduce barriers**—Improving systems and processes to increase the ease, ability and opportunity to

utilize systems and services (e.g., access to treatment, childcare, transportation, housing, education, special needs,

cultural and language sensitivity).

5. Change consequences (incentives/disincentives)—Increasing or decreasing the probability of a specific behavior that

reduces risk or enhances protection by altering the consequences for performing that behavior (e.g., increasing public

recognition for deserved behavior, individual and business rewards, taxes, citations, fines, revocations/loss of privileges).

6. Change physical design—Changing the physical design or structure of the environment to reduce risk or enhance

protection (e.g., parks, landscapes, signage, lighting, outlet density).

7. Modify/change policies—Formal change in written procedures, by-laws, proclamations, rules or laws with written

documentation and/or voting procedures (e.g., workplace initiatives, law enforcement procedures and practices, public

policy actions, systems change within government, communities and organizations).

** Note: This strategy also can be utilized when it is turned around to reducing access/enhancing barriers. When community

coalitions establish barriers to underage drinking or other illegal drug use, they decrease its accessibility. Prevention

science tells us that when more resources (money, time, etc.) are required to obtain illegal substances, use declines.

When many states began to mandate the placement of pseudoephedrine-based products behind the pharmacy counter,

communities experienced a significant decrease in local clandestine methamphetamine labs. Barriers were put into place

that led to a decrease in the accessibility of the precursor materials for meth production.

The list of strategies were distilled by the University of Kansas Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development—

a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. Research cited in selection of the strategies is documented in the Resources and

Research section of the CADCA website,

www.cadca.org

. The Institute uses this list by permission of the University.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 20

The first three strategies—provide

information, enhance skills and

provide support—assist in educating the

public, raising awareness and helping

individuals make healthy choices. Gen-

erally they affect small numbers of indi-

viduals and are too weak to impact the

community at large. These strategies

often are necessary if you are working

in a community where denial of and lim-

ited knowledge about the current prob-

lem is prevalent. But, they can provide

initial information necessary to bring a

community together around an issue.

Since the first three of the seven strategies focus

on impacting individuals, they have obvious limita-

tions and probably will not, by themselves, achieve

measurable change in substance abuse rates in

your community. However, the last four strategies

are environmental in nature and when utilized in a

multi-strategy plan can form the basis of a com-

prehensive approach along with the first three.

Implementing environmental approaches

using the seven strategies

Moving through assessment, naming and framing

the existing problem, identifying root causes and

linking them to strategies that directly address

local conditions requires broad-based community

involvement. Environmental strategies appear

daunting, but can lead to powerful results. Be-

cause of their impact, they are worth the effort

and attention to continual maintenance over time.

On page 23, we include a portion of a sample

logic model with specific examples for comprehen-

sive environmental strategies to help reduce youth

tobacco use. As we address each of the strategies

in this section, we will illustrate additional sample

activities that might be used to plan and imple-

ment a comprehensive environmental approach.

Provide information: This strategy includes town

hall meetings, websites, billboard campaigns,

and Public Service Announcements (PSA). Com-

munities may air PSAs to provide information

about campaigns to reduce to drinking and driving

around the holidays. This adds to the community’s

knowledge of local efforts, but in isolation would

not create long-term change.

Enhance skills: Tactics include media advocacy,

youth training on refusal skills, parenting classes

and training local treatment professionals in pre-

vention concepts. Parenting classes can comple-

ment environmental strategies when social host

issues are uncovered, presenting the opportunity

to educate parents about laws related to providing

alcohol to underage youth on private property.

Provide support: Support includes substance-free

activities for youth, support groups and clubs. If

a community determines through its assessment

process that many youth are cited for underage

drinking during certain hours, substance-free

activities can be offered during those times. Con-

currently, local law enforcement can carry out

proactive community policing efforts.

Enhance access/Reduce barriers: Environmental

strategies often are associated with modifying set-

tings to reduce risk through the implementation of

policy, however, systems change to increase the

ease of utilization also can be viewed as a popula-

tion-focused approach. Make access to the basic

services community members require to lead

healthy and productive lives a priority.

For example, increase accessibility to services for

individuals who do not speak English or where

English is not the first language by providing par-

 Hours/Days of Sale

 Clean Air Laws

 Happy Hour Ordinance/Laws

 Advertising Ordinance/Laws

 Land Use Ordinances

 Responsible Beverage Server

Training

 Fake ID Enforcement

 Party Patrol/Controlled Party

Dispersal

 Outlet Density Reduction

 Open Container Ordinance

 Festivals

• Beer Gardens

 Third-Party Transaction

• Shoulder Taps

• Social Host

• Source Investigation

Programs

 Compliance Checks

Common environmental strategies for coalitions

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 21

enting classes in the language most appropriate

for the community. For example, providing parent-

ing classes, as part of a comprehensive plan to in-

form and educate parents about the dangers of

substance use by youth, in Spanish reduces the

barriers for the Spanish-speaking community.

Change consequences--incentives

and disincentives: Environmental strategies gener-

ally include consequences (incentives and disin-

centives). For a policy to be effective after

adoption, active and consistent enforcement of

incentives (rewards) or disincentives (penalties)

must be swift and appropriate.

For example: your coalition’s assessment reveals

that the fine for simple possession of marijuana is

$250 and 30 days in jail for the first offense. By

today’s standards, this may seem inadequate as a

deterrant to use. Your coalition may advocate for

an increase not only in the monetary fine, but also

in the length of prison or jail time or diversion into

a treatment program. An even more effective way

to utilize this type of strategy is to have these fines

(or a portion of them) re-routed back to commu-

nity prevention efforts.

All 50 states have enacted Zero Tolerance for

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws for people

under age 21. These laws, often referred to as

“Use and Lose Laws,” maintain that when a young

person is cited for underage drinking and driving,

he/she will lose his/her license for a specified

period of time. Not all states mandate the same

period of time. Increasing the time that a young

person loses his/her license can bolster the

impact of the Zero Tolerance laws.

Look at this strategy in another way: Offer public

recognition to those who perform a desired behav-

ior, i.e., incentives. For example, when a local

merchant alerts law enforcement that youth under

21 years old are using altered and false forms of

identification to obtain alcohol, your coalition can

reward the merchant in a variety of ways. Be sure

that the recognition includes local media to in-

crease the likelihood that other businesses will act

in the same manner.

Change physical design: The risks associated with

specific environments can be reduced through

changing the design of the setting. Because sub-

stance abuse problems have a close nexus with

crime and violence, a coalition working on environ-

mental strategies naturally would urge law en-

forcement to target specific settings where alcohol

and other drug sales and use are visible.

Alcohol- and other drug-related crimes can be re-

duced using environmental strategies and, when

properly implemented, can improve the safety and

livability of specific areas or whole neighborhoods.

Strategies that focus on changing the physical

design seek to modify the conditions that give rise

to criminal behavior. Examples of physical design

strategies include, cutting back or eliminating fo-

liage that provides cover for drug sales, increasing

lighting at crime hot spots, and cleaning up aban-

doned properties that are used for drug use.

Picture a neighborhood with a park in the middle.

Some community members may not want to have

it lit at night to discourage people from using the

park after dark. The attempt to prevent noise late

into the night because the lights provide the ability

to use the park’s facilities, may create a play-

ground for underage drinking or other drug use.

Communities must consider how changing the

physical design will work and if it can provide over-

all protective measures to increase public safety.

Abandoned houses and other buildings can be-

come havens for drug trafficking, drug use and

other crimes. In areas where this is a problem,

policy can be enacted that requires the town/city/

county to board windows and doors of abandoned

properties to maintain safe conditions. A better

approach would include a comprehensive set of

strategies to improve affordable housing, organize

residents to improve the physical appearance of

their properties and deter open air drug markets.

Change or modify policies: Policies are concrete

tools used to reduce risk or to modify settings in

ways that benefit the public’s health. They can be

formal or informal and are designed to structure

community norms, which effect behaviors.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 22

With enactment of Clean Air Laws across the

country, communities are seeing full-scale norm

changes related to smoking. Not long ago,

cigarette machines were everywhere—in every bar,

restaurant and club. They usually were tucked

away in the darkest corner, leaving them unmoni-

tored and disregarding laws related to legal pur-

chase age. Today, it is much more difficult to find

cigarette vending machines in public locations.

Convenience stores keep tobacco products behind

the counter, not easily accessible to store patrons.

As a result of Clean Air Laws, smoking rates have

declined and evidence exists that environmental

strategies are responsible.

Smoking environ-

ments are now mainly outdoors. In fact, many

businesses do not allow employees to smoke

within a certain distance of the entrance. This

change could be considered a model when devel-

oping and advocating for policy implementation.

In addition to understanding the long-term effects

of policy change, communities should consider

the effort necessary to monitor and actively en-

force policy. Coalitions must plan for policy change

with those who will enforce it.

Across the country, communities pass ordinances/

laws mandating merchant education for alcohol

retailers. Good planning determines who will en-

force such programs and track the retail industry

before enacting the policies. Establish systems to

ensure that policy analysis, development, imple-

mentation and enforcement are supported by in-

stitutions and policymakers.

Media and environmental approaches

Media plays an important role in the implementa-

tion of environmental approaches and good rela-

tionships with media representatives and staff are

vital to your long-term communication strategy.

Traditional media outlets—newspapers, radio and

television stations—should continue as key part-

ners with community coalitions. New, social media

through the Internet and mobile phones provide

additional, often inexpensive, channels for com-

municating and networking with your members,

partners and community at large.

However, you must consider the information gath-

ered in your community assessment when deter-

mining which media outlets and channels are best

suited for your community. Remember also that

communication activities alone have little chance

of creating the long-term, sustainable change your

coalition is trying to achieve.

Plan and implement a social marketing

campaign. A social marketing campaign will take

your coalition beyond a simple communications

plan. Social marketing is the application of mar-

keting strategies developed in the commercial

sector to solve social problems where the bottom

line is behavior change. Both commercial and

social marketing focus their efforts on reaching

target markets which will be identified in your

coalition’s environmental assessment. (See the

Marketing’s 4 Ps in Figure 4 on page 12).

Like environmental strategies, successful social

marketing campaigns utilize multiple strategy

approaches and incorporate much of the work

that coalitions already are doing in their planning

and implementation. Tactics and channels of

communication used in a social marketing cam-

paign will be determined by the problem your

coalition is addressing and may utilize traditional

mass media such as newspapers, radio and televi-

sion; new or social media such as blogs or text

messaging; and non-traditional media such as

weekly bulletins in houses of worship or posters in

barber shops or beauty parlors.

Teach students to understand messages through

media literacy classes. Media literacy classes help

students better understand the “language” of im-

ages and sounds used throughout today’s media—

particularly advertising—teaching them the tactics

used to entice the general public to buy products

or use services. Think about Mr. Clean—if he was

wearing a greyed t-shirt with ketchup and mustard

stains would you buy his products? Or if the Kee-

bler elves baked cookies that rated “just ok” on the

“deliciousness” meter, would you crave them as

you walk down the aisle of the grocery store?

Media literacy classes take students beyond clean-

ing products and cookies and help them under-

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 23

The Problem

Is...

Tobacco use

rates are

increasing

among youth

But why?

Tobacco

products are

easy to get

But why here?

Tobacco

products are

sold to youth

despite age

restrictions

But why here?

Intervention/Action

Provide information:

Post signs that

read “We don’t sell tobacco products to

people under the age of 18” in stores

that sell tobacco products

Enhance skills:

Train merchants to

check identification for persons purchas-

ing tobacco products.

Provide support:

Offer tobacco cessa-

tion classes at the local youth center for

teens who have already begun smoking

Enhance access/reduce barriers:

Translate merchant education materials

into Spanish and other languages.

Change consequences:

Increase taxes

on cigarettes; provide public recognition

for retailers who do not sell tobacco

products to youth.

Change physical design:

Place

tobacco products behind the counter in

retail outlets.

Change or modify policies:

Remove

tobacco vending machines from bars

and restaurants

Figure 6: Sample Logic Model for Environmental

Approach using the Seven Strategies

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 24

stand the advertising messages put out by tobacco

and alcohol companies. In fact, media literacy—

understanding the “bill of goods” being sold by the

tobacco companies—provided the genesis for the

popular and successful Truth campaign, developed

by the American Legacy Foundation.

Enlist support for policy change using media

advocacy. Media advocacy is the process of

disseminating policy-related information through

the mass media, especially to affect action, policy

change or to alter the public's view of an issue. En-

list and cultivate media partnerships from the ear-

liest stages of your coalition development. Their

ability to reach community members and

influence attitudes will be invaluable when you

are ready to plan and implement the strategies

that will change local systems or policies.

Pay attention to the way local media frame issues.

Reports on drunk driving accidents involving teens

often indicate that only the driver bears responsi-

bility and rarely focus on community issues such

as the number of alcohol outlets willing to sell to

minors, availability at community events, etc.

Frame your issues to reflect message(s) agreed on

by coalition members. Keep your message consis-

tent whether you are sending a press release, op

ed piece or Letter to the Editor, or responding to a

request for an interview on a new story related to

underage drinking and driving. Your coalition’s

message must move community members to

support the change your group advocates.

Evaluation of environmental

strategy implementation

Evaluating implementation of your environmental

strategies is different than your larger, more

comprehensive coalition evaluation which entails

documenting your coalition’s contributions to

population-level change. Evaluation of your envi-

ronmental strategies involves tracking the imple-

mentation of each strategy, including:

1. Process the coalition uses to implement the

environmental strategy (e.g., development of

an ordinance, number of merchant education

trainings provided, etc.)

2. Extent to which the environmental strategy has

penetrated the community (e.g., percent of

restaurants completing merchant education,

percent of alcohol outlets that display “We

Card” signs, etc.)

3. Success of the individual environmental strat-

egy (e.g., merchant education implemented

communitywide, what percent of restaurants

pass compliance checks or if alcohol outlet

density decreases does associated crime and

mayhem decline?)

Environmental strategies have many moving parts

so it is critical for the coalition to track these early

steps carefully to understand if a particular strat-

egy is having the intended effect. For example,

your coalition decides to implement an education

campaign focused on decreasing availability of to-

bacco to minors with the aim of persuading local

merchants to display signs that indicate they will

not sell tobacco to minors.

1. Document the process used to engage and

educate merchants. This may include tracking

dissemination of materials, number of visits

to merchants, percent and distribution of mer-

chants targeted, development of an Memoran-

dum of Understanding (MOU) for merchants to

sign, etc. However, just because your coalition

has engaged in a targeted merchant education

campaign does not mean that all the mer-

chants have bought on to it or have changed

their behaviors.

2. Determine the extent to which the “We Card”

signs are displayed in stores. This requires

tracking what percent of tobacco outlets in the

community display the signs. If you have 50

merchants that sell tobacco in your city but

only five of them are consistently displaying

the sign, then your strategy does not have suffi-

cient depth. Remember as a coalition, you are

focused on large-scale change, so you need to

make sure that your environmental strategies

penetrate the entire community environment.

3. Determine if the strategy is bringing about the

intended outcome—are fewer merchants sell-

ing tobacco to individuals under 18 years of

age? This requires conducting compliance

checks with tobacco retailers.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 25

Lessons Learned:

 Know your key stakeholders. The coalition worked closely with local law enforcement, because their State ABC does not

have an alcohol enforcement division. This means that the enforcement of Utah’s alcohol laws is the primary responsibility

of local police and sheriff’s offices, along with the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Liquor Enforcement Section.

 Assess the level of community awareness on the issue and address the gaps. Are community members aware of the prob-

lem? Are they supportive of the coalition’s proposed environmental strategies and policy changes? Some communities

may be easier to mobilize than others. It takes time to change people’s minds. Be prepared to educate your community

before proposing specific strategies and policy change.

 Make sure the strategy fits your community. You will be more likely to achieve your desired goals if you use strategies that

align with your assessment findings. It is necessary to keep a pulse on community data, as well as your coalition’s capacity

to address changes. This will be different in each community.

 Know your state liquor laws, who enforces them and how they are enforced. Coalitions should work to understand the

various levels of law enforcement on the state and local levels. Different agencies have different powers and jurisdictional

boundaries. Multi-jurisdictional agreements can be incredibly helpful to the success of enforcement operations. Also,

states and localities vary on who can regulate licensing and alcohol sales. When conducting compliance checks, there is

usually a criminal ticket written to the individual involved in the illegal sale of alcohol to an underage, undercover buyer.

The alcohol license also can be endangered, but not all law enforcement agencies have the power to do this. Take the time

to understand your state’s regulations when it comes to ticketing the actual seller and the alcohol license holder, as they

may differ depending on the law enforcement agency.

See the Resources Section on page 31 for more information on environmental strategies focusing on underage drinking.

When assessments indicated that alcohol was being used by

more youth than tobacco or any other drug, the Salt Lake City

(Utah) Mayor’s Coalition on Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs,

began mobilizing their community to address the problem.

Rates in Salt Lake City exceeded state rates at every grade

level for lifetime and 30-day use and community stakeholder

interviews revealed the community was ready for change—

55 percent reported alcohol or other substance abuse were

major problems facing the community.

Coalition leaders became aware of a program called EASY

(Eliminate Alcohol Sales to Youth) that limits youth access to

alcohol at grocery and convenience stores. The program man-

dates training for retailer employees, implements retailer com-

pliance checks, and increases penalties for retailers that sell

to minors.

Coalition leaders made the decision to push for this policy

change in their state. The coalition planned a series of steps

that would lead them to their ultimate goal. First, they needed

to educate the community on the harms of underage drinking.

They disseminated information to parents and other key stake-

holders, and presented data to the Utah Department of

Alcoholic Beverage Control (UDABC), local law enforcement

and legislators, advocating for implementation of the EASY

program. The coalition educated community members that

controlling youth access to alcohol needed immediate atten-

tion, and that implementing the EASY program was feasible,

and could drastically improve retail outlet compliance.

The collaboration with its key stakeholders really drove the ini-

tiative along. The Salt Lake City Mayor’s Coalition built strong

leadership capacity. Their membership includes representa-

tion from the UDABC, MADD Utah and local law enforcement.

They collaborate closely with their state Division of Substance

Abuse and Mental Health. These partnerships and other mobi-

lization efforts contributed to Utah being the first state to

enact the EASY program statewide in 2006. In addition, legis-

lators allocated funding to implement a statewide media and

education campaign called ParentsEmpowerd.org. The cam-

paign educates parents on the dangers of underage drinking

and the role they play in preventing the behavior.

Since its inception, the program has been successful in in-

creasing alcohol retail compliance rates in Salt Lake City.

Compliance rates rose from 66 percent to 79 percent after the

legislation’s passage. Over time, as more trainings and repeat

compliance checks are implemented, the compliance rates are

expected to increase.

SALT LAKE CITY MAYOR’S COALITION ON ALCOHOL TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUGS

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 26

The same evaluation process should be applied to

environmental strategies focused on changing

policies. For example, your coalition wants to pass

a Teen Party Ordinance aimed at reducing the

number of parties where underage drinking oc-

curs. The ordinance levies fines against property

owners to cover the law enforcement costs when

police respond to a disturbance caused by a party.

In that case, the coalition should document the

process used to pass the ordinance, such as devel-

oping the ordinance, getting community support

for the ordinance and getting the ordinance

passed. Then the community needs to track en-

forcement of the policy—is law enforcement re-

sponding to calls for service for parties that are

neighborhood disturbances and are the appropri-

ate penalties being implemented? When it comes

to tracking the number of problem parties, this

number may go up initially because it is being

tracked systematically for the first time. However,

the evaluation of the success of this policy change

should show decreases over time.

The intent of evaluating your environmental strate-

gies is to understand how well you are implement-

ing these targeted communitywide interventions

and if the environmental strategy is successful.

However, be aware that evaluating your environ-

mental strategies does not mean that you have

also evaluated the totality of your coalition work

which consists of many strategies. Evaluation of

specific environmental strategies is just one piece

of information that feeds your larger coalition eval-

uation. For more information on coalition evalua-

tion, please refer to the Institute’s Evaluation

Primer, available in PDF format online at,

www.cadca.org

Conclusion

Adoption, implementation and enforcement of

environmental strategies cannot be accomplished

unless many segments of the community are

mobilized. Organizing the community for change

is a core function of an effective community coali-

tion. Addressing issues of access and availability,

location and density, restricting public use, deter-

ring law breaking and restricting marketing in pub-

lic places are all strategies that coalitions across

the county are successfully tackling every day.

We hope this publication helps more coalitions

move beyond planning and implementing pro-

grams and services that concentrate on individual

behavior to a more comprehensive and multifac-

eted set of actions that modify the environment in

which alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are sold

and consumed. Many resources on the topic exist.

For further information, see the Resources section

on page 31 or go to the Resources and Research

section of the CADCA website, www.cadca.org

Additionally, the Institute offers free technical

assistance to community coalitions. You may

request technical assistance through the

CADCA website, by sending an e-mail to

[email protected]

or by calling 1-800-54-CADCA

(1-800-542-2322), ext. 240.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 27

Environmental Strategy

Sales/

Use

Traffic

Crashes

DWI

Violent

Crime

Suicide

Long-Term Health

Consequences

Price controls

   

 

Density restrictions

    

Minimum purchase age laws

  



Impaired driving laws

 

Restrictions on use



Selling/serving controls

 

Counteradvertising



violent or assaultive offenses = rape, robbery, assault, and homicide

cancer or cirrhosis mortality

rapes and robberies

youth homicide

effects for tobacco only

Environmental Prevention Strategies: An Introduction and Overview, Deborah A. Fisher, Ph.D., used with permission.

Prevention effects of environmental strategies

The table below shows the range of effects that have been found as a result of

a variety of environmental strategies.

Table 3.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 28

Implementing environmental strategies is part skill and part

art form. Acting strategically with a focused goal and begin-

ning with the end in mind, increases the chance of waging a

successful campaign and enables ongoing adjustments as

your coalition carries out its work. The steps below are de-

scribed in a linear way, but often overlap and circle back. Activ-

ities depend on local conditions. Environmental work can be

unpredictable and full of twists and turns. Use these steps to

mobilize the community to engage in environmental strategies

so your coalition can inform the community—residents, busi-

nesses, agencies and stakeholders—about existing conditions

and begin to plan actions necessary to create change.

State the issue to be addressed. Interventions should be

grounded in a well-developed assessment reflecting key issues

and contributing factors (root causes and local conditions). In

defining issues, clearly identify who will be impacted as they

can become allies or opponents to the coalition’s work. Iden-

tify potential barriers and ways to steer around or sway public

opinion to your side as you move through the process. Create

an Action Statement indicating what the policy/system change

will create, who will benefit and who can make it happen.

Collect data to establish a basis for the proposed policy or

systems change. Many of your data will emerge from the com-

munity assessment. Understand that policy change is intended

as long-term and could become law. Changes that cause sys-

temic overhaul can affect multiple institutions and, therefore,

should be planned carefully. Ensuring the reach of policy or

systems changes and the capacity to maintain it over time is

vital. To address drug dealing and problem environments that

facilitate it, coalitions must address conditions that increase

the likelihood of drug dealing. A policy related to boarding

abandoned buildings could address drug dealing if the areas

are deemed ideal for such behavior.

Create a case statement. Case statements take many forms,

but always define the nature and extent of the issue from an

environmental perspective and describe how the proposed re-

sponse addresses the issueand the implementation process.

Case statements are not action statements. They are public ex-

pressions that enable the coalition to describe the issue in a

way that reflects its understanding and vision of an appropri-

ate environmental response. A sample case statement is avail-

able in the Resources and Research section of the CADCA

website,

www.cadca.org

Draft policy language. Enlist coalition members to work

through the policy response. Drafting policy helps stake out

the coalition’s position, fosters better understanding of local

conditions and creates a more level playing field with the entity

that has the power to enact it. CADCA's Policy Change Toolbox

(

http://www.cadca.org/policyadvocacy/prevention_works/

policy-change-toolbox

) offers excellent resources and examples.

Use media advocacy. The use of local media to support the

coalition’s work is essential to further the success of environ-

mental strategies. Media advocacy provides a venue that sup-

ports appropriate framing of the message, develops strategic

communications and shapes local opinions to support the

coalition’s work. Keep your efforts on the local radar. Submit

Letters to the Editor and meet with editorial boards to maintain

media involvement. Cultivate relationships with local reporters

who are interested in your coalition’s issues to ensure that your

message is published. Actively involve media by providing

them opportunities to ride along with law enforcement during

compliance checks. Continuously update your coalition’s story.

Mobilize support and provide community education. Building

support for your coalition’s goals requires a careful analysis of

who in the community has the power to assist or block your ef-

forts. Policy development, adoption and enforcement often

create opposition—learn where the support and opposition lie.

For each policy campaign, determine who the decision makers

are; what their self-interest is in relation to the coalition’s work;

who are potential allies; and what are the risks to coalition

members and partners as the work moves forward.

Successful implementation of environmental strategies and

policy enactment requires strong support from key influencers

and grassroots community members. Coalitions must explore

options and decide that local policy change is needed. Then,

they must decide how to get their message out. Local council

meetings are open venues where coalitions can present their

views on local problems and possible solutions. Engage your

membership to meet with local officials who can affect policy;

such relationships are essential to coalition capacity.

Ensure enforcement. Policies must be enacted and enforced.

This holds true whether the policy addresses serving alcohol at

dinner parties or locking up meth precursor chemicals in local

stores. Someone must ensure that the policy is followed. Many

communities pass policies or laws about which no one is

aware. Avoid that issue by engaging stakeholders responsible

for enforcement from the beginning of the process. This gener-

ates buy-in and allows the policy to be shaped to make en-

forcement as easy as possible. Most often, implementation is

just the beginning of the actual environmental strategy.

Evaluate coalition effectiveness. Policy development and

adoption takes time. Done well, it lays a foundation for subse-

quent enforcement. Coalitions sometimes bypass evaluation

of what went well and what could be improved. But, evaluation

is central to maintaining a vibrant group that can recruit new

people and make corrections in its own process as needed.

Community mobilization to create environmental change—a summary

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 29

24/7 Zero Tolerance Policy: Written policy in a school/

school district. It allows schools to provide consequences

to youth who are involved in alcohol, tobacco or other

drug-related behavior even when they are not on school

property, during school hours or while participating in a

school-related function.

4 Ps of marketing: Product, price, place and promotion are

commonly referred to as the 4 Ps of marketing or the

marketing mix. They can be used together to help deter-

mine strategy around a target market or population. In

a coalition context, they can help inform planning and

implementation of initiatives.

Alcohol Purchase Survey: Use of individuals older than 21

to test whether an alcohol retailer consistently checks for

proper identification prior to the sale of alcohol.

Clean Air Law: Law prohibiting smoking indoors (i.e., public

buildings, restaurants, airplanes, etc.) or within a short

distance of public entrances.

Community assessment: A process of gathering, analyzing

and reporting information, usually data, about your com-

munity. A community assessment should include geo-

graphic and demographic information, as well as a

collective review of needs and resources within a commu-

nity that indicates what the current problems or issues

are that could be addressed by a coalition.

Compliance checks: An enforcement operation where an

undercover, underage buyer works with law enforcement

to test the compliance of a tobacco or alcohol retailer

with local and state laws.

Counteradvertising: In its broadest sense, it refers to the

dissemination of prevention messages through the

media. These messages run counter to pro-alcohol or

tobacco advertisements. Counteradvertising can occur

via the same media as pro-alcohol or advertising—

namely, in print publications (magazines, newspapers,

etc.), in outdoor media (billboards, transit ads), in broad-

cast media (television and radio), over the Internet, by

direct mail and through promotional techniques, such as

sponsorship of sporting and entertainment events.

Dram Shop Law: Refers to an alcohol establishment's

potential financial liability for serving alcohol to an intox-

icated or underage person who later causes injury to a

third party (i.e., in a drunk driving crash). This law nor-

mally only covers businesses and not private parties.

Environmental scan: A form of community assessment that

investigates the physical elements within a community

that can contribute to alcohol, tobacco or other drug use.

Environmental strategies: Environmental strategies are

prevention efforts aimed at changing or influencing

community conditions, standards, institutions, struc-

tures, systems and policies.

Geographic Information System (GIS): The use of digitized

maps to view, understand, question, interpret and

visualize data in ways that reveal relationships, patterns,

and trends in a specific geographic area.

Keg Registration: The tagging of kegs for the purposes of

knowing the source of alcohol in an underage drinking

investigation. The purchaser identified on the tag could

potentially be charged with a crime of providing alcohol

to an underage person.

GLOSSARY

ENDNOTES

1. Babor, Thomas, et al.,

Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity—Research and Public Policy

, Oxford University Press, USA; 2003.

2. Bruun,K., et al.,

Alcohol Control Policies in Public Health Perspective

, The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, New

Brunswick, N.J. : distributors, Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies, 1975.

3. Edwards,G., et al.,

Alcohol Policy and Public Good,

Oxford University Press, USA, January 26, 1995.

4. Babor, Thomas, et al.,

Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity—Research and Public Policy,

Oxford University Press, USA;

October 23, 2003.

5. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids,

Smoke-Free Laws Do Not Harm Business at Restaurants and Bars

, Washington, D.C.

Retrieved from the Internet,

http://tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0144.pdf

, March 2008.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 30

Land use: The way land is developed in terms of the kinds

of activities allowed (agriculture, single-family or multiple

family residence, commercial, industry, etc.)

Land Use Ordinance: Local code which sets forth local

zoning regulations for a jurisdiction. For example,

prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries in a

residential neighborhood.

Media advocacy: The strategic use of any form of media to

help advance goals.

Media literacy: The process of teaching individuals to

analyze media messages to learn how they are designed

to influence choices/behaviors.

Merchant education: A program geared toward educating

tobacco and/or alcohol retailers on the current laws and

appropriate, legal sales of tobacco and/or alcohol

products to the public.

Multi-jurisdictional agreement: An agreement that allows

law enforcement agencies to operate under certain

circumstances outside of their normal jurisdictional

boundaries.

Outlet density: The number and proximity of outlets in a

given geographic area.

Qualitative or anecdotal data: Qualitative data can help tell

the stories behind the local conditions that contribute to

alcohol and other drug problems. Focus groups (with

youth, faith community, coaches, teachers, parents, etc.)

or key informant/stakeholder interviews (with the mayor,

police chief, merchants, neighborhood association mem-

bers, etc.) can relate how residents are affected by the

noise, crime and other activities connected to a bar in

their neighborhood and/or usual settings of underage

drinking parties.

Quantitative data: Data which are measurable or quantifi-

able, such as the number of meth labs discovered in a

community—can often be retrieved through state or local

databases, partner agencies and others.

Shoulder Tap: An enforcement operation where an under-

cover, underage youth, under the surveillance of law

enforcement officers, approaches individuals near an

alcohol retail outlet, stating his/her real age, and asks

if the individual will purchase alcohol and provide it to

him/her.

Social Host Law: Prohibits the provision of alcohol to indi-

viduals under the legal purchase age. In some states or

communities, it can also mean that individuals who

provide alcohol can be held liable if the person who

was provided alcohol is killed or injured, or kills or injures

another person.

Social marketing: Social marketing is the application of

marketing strategies developed in the commercial sector

to solve social problems and help bring about behavior

change.

Source investigation program: An investigation into the

source of alcohol or other drugs when an alcohol-or other

drug-related crime occurs. An example would be when an

underage person is in an alcohol-related car crash, law

enforcement extends its investigation beyond the scene

of the crash and attempts to determine where the alcohol

was obtained.

Synar checks: In 1992, the federal government passed the

Synar Amendment that mandates annual checks of

tobacco retailers in every state. States that fail to main-

tain a tobacco sale rate during the checks of 20 percent

or less are at risk of losing 40 percent of the federal

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT)

Block Grant dollars.

Systems change: The process of improving the capacity and

service delivery of systems to improve access, and/or

quality for people in a community.

Teen Party Ordinance: The ordinance levies fines against

property owners to cover the law enforcement costs

when police respond to a disturbance caused by a party

involving underage drinking.

Zero Tolerance: This terminology often is used to describe

the laws that are in every state that stipulate that youth

under 21 cannot possess or consume alcohol while

operating a motor vehicle. This also can mean that

schools (or other entities) have enacted a policy that

states they will implement consequences or penalties to

any student who is involved in an alcohol, tobacco or

other drug-related incident on school property, during

school hours or while participating in a school function.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 31

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES PREVENTION RESOURCES

ORGANIZATIONS

Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University

(CAMY)

http://www.camy.org

 Monitors the alcohol industry’s marketing strategies di-

rected at America’s youth. Provides a wealth of information

on environmental strategies that reduce and limit the access

of alcohol to underage youth as well as youth exposure to al-

cohol advertising. The website regularly provides updates to

alcohol policy changes and includes examples of successful

initiatives at the local level.

California Council on Alcohol Policy

http://cal-council.org/index.htm

 The California Council on Alcohol Policy was founded in

1985 as an action vehicle for individuals and communities

seeking to reduce problems associated with the availability

and consumption of alcohol beverages. The website includes

a list of useful Weblinks.

FACE

http://www.faceproject.org/index.html

 FACE is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to

create innovative, research-based resources on alcohol that

educate, motivate and demonstrate how individuals and or-

ganizations can effectively take action on alcohol issues.

Institute for Public Strategies (IPS)

http://www.publicstrategies.org/

 Provides leadership and strategies which support changes

in public and private policy and community standards

and norms.

Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and

Other Drug Programs

http://www.marininstitute.org

 The Marin Institute provides up-to-date information regard-

ing the promotion of alcohol products by the alcohol indus-

try. It supports communities who aim to reduce youth

exposure to the variety of alcohol marketing strategies.

 Media Advocacy Action Pack:

http://www.marininstitute.org/action_packs/

media_advocacy.htm

 Alcohol Policy Solutions:

http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_policy/

 A useful description of how land use regulations and local

health and safety codes can help communities carry out ef-

fective environmental strategies:

http://www.marin

institute.org/alcohol_policy/local.htm

Northeast CAPT Prevention Strategies

Policy: A Strategy for Prevention Practitioners

http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/strategies/policy/pol-

icypaper.html

 This resource developed through the Center for Substance

Abuse Prevention’s Northeast Center for the Application of

Prevention Technologies describes guidelines for creating

policy at the local level. It also provides a list of references to

field research supporting environmental strategies.

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)

http://www.pire.org

 Independent, nonprofit organization working to understand

the affects of alcohol and other drugs on a variety of individ-

ual and social problems. With 10 research centers through-

out the United States, researchers at PIRE play an integral

role in bridging the gap between science and practice.

Responsible Hospitality Institute (RHI)

http://www.rhiweb.org/

 Founded in 1983 to promote legal and social awareness

programs, RHI has evolved to become a central clearing-

house and facilitator of national, state and local networks

seeking to create more safe and vibrant places to socialize.

 Visit their Clearinghouse for case study examples, news

updates and other useful information (

http://www.

rhiclearinghouse.net/RHICH_SearchMenu.aspx

Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center (UDETC)

http://www.udetc.org

 Established by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, the UDETC provides training and technical

assistance to federal entities, states and communities;

building their capacity to prevent underage drinking and

associated consequences through the enforcement of

underage drinking laws.

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS AND

OTHER RESOURCES

Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS)

http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov

 A project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Alcohol Policy Information System

is an online resource that provides detailed information on a

wide variety of alcohol-related policies in the United States

at both state and federal levels.

The following list of environmental strategies prevention resources serves as a guide for those looking to expand

their knowledge on the topic. Please note that there is a wealth of information on the subject and that this list is

not exhaustive. We hope it is helpful to you as you continue your research.

The Coalition Impact: Environmental Prevention StrategiesCADCA’s National Coalition Institute 32

Community Alcohol Tobacco and Drug Indicators Handbook

ttp://www.indicatorshandbook.org

 A project of Join Together (

http://www.jointogether.org

)

designed to help communities develop an indicator report-

ing program to inform their planning process. Provides

up-to-date data sources and current community indicator

reports from around the country (2005 Edition).

CADCA National Coalition Institute Primer Series

www.cadca.org

 A collection of publications that provide guidelines for coali-

tions navigating the Strategic Prevention Framework.

CADCA’s Policy Change Toolbox

www.cadca.org

 CADCA’s Policy Change Toolbox was developed as a public

policy tool to provide coalitions with a catalog of environ-

mental policy changes implemented at the local level by

community anti-drug coalitions from all over the U.S.

CADCA Strategizer 31: Guidelines for Advocacy: Changing Poli-

cies and Laws to Create Safer Environments for Youth

www.cadca.org

 The purpose of this coalition-specific technical assistance

manual is to clarify what constitutes “lobbying” activities for

nonprofit organizations and to what extent these organiza-

tions can participate in such activities. It also provides use-

ful information on general legislative processes.

College Drinking: Changing the Culture

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

 Created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism (NIAAA), and is a resource for comprehensive

research-based information on issues related to alcohol

abuse and binge drinking among college students.

Community Tool Box

ctb.ku.edu

 The Tool Box is a service of the Work Group for Community

Health and Developmentat the University of Kansas.

Find Youth Information (FYI)

http://www.findyouthinformation.gov

 Includes a great resource to help your community incorpo-

rate a Graphic Information System (GIS) into your local as-

sessment, helping to visualize relationships, patterns and

trends in maps.

 For more detailed information on Geographic Information

Systems (

www.gis.com

)

eadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free

ttp://www.alcoholfreechildren.org

 An initiative launched in 1999 by the National Institute of

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in partnership with the Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation, to bring the scope and dangers

of early alcohol use to public attention and mobilize na-

tional, state and local action to prevent it.

 The Web site features a policymakers page with a wealth

of information and resource links for influencing policy at

the community level.

(

http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/en/audiences/

policymakers.cfm

Preventing Problems Related to Alcohol Availability:

Environmental Approaches

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/PHD822/aap.aspx

 SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and

Drug Information.

 Developed by CSAP in 1999 as part of the Prevention

Enhancement Protocols System (PEPS)—All three parts are

available online.

Preventing Underage Drinking: Using the SAMHSA Strategic Pre-

vention Framework and Getting to Outcomes to Achieve Results

http://captus.samhsa.gov//southwest/documents/SPF-Pre-

ventUnderageDrinking.pdf

 A guide to help communities go through a systematic

process of planning, implementation, and evaluation that

will help get results in reducing and preventing underage

drinking. The guide is focused on evidence-based environ-

mental approaches.

Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce

Underage Drinking (2007)

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/

BOOKS

Streicker, Joel. Case

Histories in Alcohol Policy: A Project of the

Trauma Foundation

. California: Trauma Foundation, 2000.

Themba, Makani.

Making Policy Making Change: How Communi-

ties are Taking Law into Their Own Hands

. California: Chardon

Press, 1999.

Wallack, Lawrence, Lori Elizabeth Dorfman, David Jernigan,

Makani Themba-Nixon.

Media Advocacy and Public Health:

Power for Prevention

. California: Sage Publications, Inc., 1993.

Wallack, Lawrence, Katie Woodruff, Lori Elizabeth Dorfman, and

Iris Diaz.

News for a Change: an Advocate’s Guide to Working

with the Media

. California: Sage Publications, Inc., 1999.

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to

strengthening the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-

free communities. The National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute works to increase the

knowledge, capacity and accountability of community anti-drug coalitions throughout the United

States. CADCA’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its clients and sponsors.

CADCA® is a registered trademark.

be not reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying,

recording or information storage and retrieval) without written permission. Please cite CADCA’s

National Coalition Institute in references. Reproduction in any form for financial gain or profit

is prohibited.

Published 2008, revised 2009, 2010

CADCA National Coalition Institute

625 Slaters Lane, Suite 300, Alexandria VA 22314

Web site: www.cadca.org

Telephone: 703-706-0560, ext. 240

Fax: 703-706-0579

E-mail: training @cadca.org

CADCA’s National Coalition Institute is operated by funds administered by the

Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy in partnership with

SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.