The document discusses strategies for reducing underage drinking in San Antonio, emphasizing the need for community collaboration and awareness. It highlights the prevalence of alcohol use among youth, with significant binge drinking rates and calls for policy changes, such as raising alcohol excise taxes and implementing social host ordinances. The overarching goal is to foster a safer and healthier environment for young people by addressing alcohol consumption through education and community initiatives.

1. Alcohol: Why it’s the #1 Drug of Concern
and Environmental Strategies to Reduce
Underage Drinking

2.  Please complete the Circles of San Antonio
Community Survey on Underage Drinking

3. Our Mission
Creating change through collaboration with
community stakeholders to educate and
motivate individuals, families, organizations
and institutions with the goal to prevent and
reduce alcohol and substance use.
Our Vision
A community where young people are
respected, appreciated, and provided the
opportunity to live safe and healthy lives.

4.  Betsy Jones, MPA
◦ Coalition Coordinator, PFS Grant
 Rudy Lopez, BA
◦ Coalition Coordinator, DFC Grant
 Boyd Baxter, CPS
◦ Coalition Coordinator, CCP Grant
 Vickie Adams
◦ Coalition Director

5. Vickie Adams
Coalition
Director
Boyd Baxter
Coalition
Coordinator
CCP Grant
Rudy Lopez
Coalition
Coordinator
DFC Grant
Betsy Jones
Coalition
Coordinator
PFS Grant

6. •Secondary and College
Data
•Social Host Ordinances
Availability
•Controlled Party Dispersal
Enforcement
•Increasing Alcohol Excise Taxes
Price

7. Alcohol is the most prevalent drug for youth,
the first one used and the one used most
often, and has the most negative
consequences for students in our community.

8. Alcohol
IS a
drug.
Really.
Acetaldehyde (CH3CHO)

9.  Alcohol isn’t really a drug.
 Alcohol is legal, so it must be safe.
 Alcohol is a good way to relax/sleep and it improves
sex.
 Passing out is your body’s way of taking care of you.
 There are quick ways to sober up or recover from too
much drinking.
 Some people are responsible enough to drink before 21.
 Everyone drinks at my school/Everyone drinks in
college.

10. 28% have consumed
alcohol in the last 30 days
20.4% have consumed to a level that
is considered binge drinking
Average Age of First Use (Bexar
County) is 11.3 years old
46% have consumed alcohol at
some point
DSHS, TSS (2012)
61% have consumed
alcohol in the last 30 days
38% of women and 43% of men have
consumed to a level that is
considered binge drinking
Average Age of First Use (College
Students) is 16.6 years old
81% have consumed alcohol at
some point
DSHS, TCS (2015)

11. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Grades 6-12: Lifetime Use
Region State Nation
PercentageofYouthHavingEverUsed

12. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Alcohol Any Illicit Inhalants Marijuana Tobacco
Past Month Use by Grade – Region
7&8
Grade 12 Grade 11 Grade 10 Grade 9
Grade 8 Grade 7 Grade 6

13. Drug Total % Male % Female % Total % Male% Female% Total% Male% Female%
Alcohol 81.9 81.9 82 75.8 75.8 75.8 60.9 62.9 59.4
Tobacco 55 60.8 50.6 43.1 51.4 36.7 25.7 34 19.3
Inhalants 3.9 5.6 2.6 1.3 2 0.8 0.4 0.7 0.1
DXM 7.3 9.6 5.5 4 5 3.3 1.8 2.1 1.5
Marijuana 42.8 47.8 38.8 29.8 34.4 26.2 17.6 22.6 13.7
Synthetic MJ 9 11.7 6.9 1.1 1.1 1.1 0.2 0.4 0.1
Cocaine 8.8 12.4 6.1 4.9 7.3 3 2.1 3 1.4
Stimulants 6.5 9.8 3.9 3.9 5.9 2.4 2.2 3.5 1.2
Sedatives 12.1 14.2 10.5 7.4 9 6.3 3 3.3 2.9
Hallucinogens 10.8 15.3 7.2 5.7 8.6 3.5 1.6 2.6 0.9
Heroin 1.2 1.9 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1
Other Narc 11.2 14.4 8.8 6.6 8.6 5 2.1 2.4 1.9
Steroids 1 1.9 0.4 0.5 1 0.1 0.2 0.4 0
GHB 1.1 1.9 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.2 0
MDMA 9.5 11.7 7.8 4.1 5.5 3.1 1.1 1.6 0.6
Lifetime Use Past-Year Use Past-Month Use
2015
Alcohol: 60.9%
All Others: 58.2%

14. Drug Total % Male % Female % Total % Male% Female% Total% Male% Female%
Alcohol -
2013
80.7 80.6 80.8 74.7 74.0 75.2 61.5 63.1 60.4
Drug Total % Male % Female % Total % Male% Female% Total% Male% Female%
Alcohol -
2005
84.3 85.1 83.6 78.4 79.3 77.8 65.6 68.3 63.6
Lifetime Use Past-Year Use Past-Month Use
Alcohol -
2015
81.9 81.9 82 75.8 75.8 75.8 60.9 62.9 59.4

15. College: Binge
Drinking
Past 30 Days
Male 41%
Females 35%
14%
Binge Drinking
Binge Drinking:
Five drinks in one sitting
for men
Four drinks in one sitting
for women
11% of our region’s youth (grades 6-12) report binge drinking within
the past 30 days.

16. College: Respondents Describe Themselves
% Describe Themselves
16% Abstain Completely
54% Light Drinker
26% Moderate Drinker
4% Heavy Drinker
.5% Problem Drinker
AL7. How would you best describe
yourself in terms of your current use of
alcohol?
1. an abstainer that never drinks
2. a light drinker
3. a moderate drinker
4. a heavy drinker
5. a problem drinker

17. Comparing the Consequences

18. Arguing with
friends or
roommates
50%
Lower
grade point
average
B+Hopeless
Nervous
Worthless
Depressed

19. 2005 2013 2015
Drove drunk 29% 25% 23%
Drove after 5+
drinks
11% 9% 9%
Rode with a driver
who was high or
drunk
23% 21% 25%
Served as
designated driver
58%* 50% 50%
*In the 2005 survey, 11% of those students who said they served as a designated
driver reported that they had at least one drink before driving.

21.  40% did not know if their school had policies concerning
alcohol use.
 60% did not know if their school had a prevention program.
 77% did not know if their school had peer education
programs.
2005 2013
50% 65%
Change in prevention awareness
over time:
2015
60%

22.  66% support prohibiting alcohol use and
possession on campus.
 57% support banning alcohol advertising at
campus events.
 78% support fining organizations that serve
to minors.
 48% support denial of scholarships to
students with alcohol-related convictions.

23.  Identify a community
problem
 Incorporate prevention
efforts that affect the entire
population
 Implement proven cost
effective strategies
producing widespread
behavior changes in
community norms,
structures, systems, and
policies
 Lead to long term outcomes
in reducing substance use
and abuse
Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) SPF image

24. SHIFTS FOCUS FROM
CHANGING AN
INDIVIDUAL’S
BEHAVIOR
CHANGING THE
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH
THE INDIVIDUAL LIVES,
ACTS, RESPONDS

25. 1. Providing Information
2. Enhancing Skills
3. Providing Support
4. Enhancing/ Reducing
Access
5. Changing Consequences
6. Physical Design
7. Modifying/Changing
Policies
Education/ Awareness
(Individual Strategies)
Environmental
Strategies
(Entire
Community)

26. FOCUS:
Individual
Behavior
GOAL: eliminate
personal alcohol
use
TOOLS: education
and developing
refusal skills
WHO: Parent,
teacher and child
FOCUS: policy,
laws, attitudes,
behaviors
GOAL: community
control
TOOLS: media and
policy advocacy,
social pressure,
enforcing laws
WHO: community,
shared power

27. Texas has not raised alcohol excise taxes since 1984.
Revenue from taxes can be used to fund prevention.
Because youth are more price-sensitive, raising taxes acts
as a deterrent to youth consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

28. $1.65

29. “Research indicates that
increasing the cost of
drinking can positively
affect adolescent decisions
about alcohol use.”
- The Surgeon General's Call to Action to
Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking,
2007

30. Decreases
the Demand
for Alcohol
Increasing
the Cost of
Alcohol

31. User fee
•Alcohol is a luxury item
•46% of Texans won’t pay
•Designed to offset costs

33. In order to match the excise
tax collected on one carton of
cigarettes (200 cigarettes)
Texas must collect
excise taxes from the
sale of 32 cases of beer
(783 1/3 12oz servings)
200 cigarettes = 783 1/3 beers

35. ~ 6 %
~ 16%
~
32%
Prevalence in
TX
.
~ 46%
Sources: National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services
Low Risk
Drinkers
Abstainers
Alcohol Dependent
Risky or Harmful Drinkers

36. Texas Alcohol Excise Tax Rates
Alcohol Type Current Tax
Rate (volume)
Per drink
(standard unit)
Rate if indexed
for inflation
Beer $0.19/gallon 1.8¢ (12 oz.) $0.43/gallon
Wine
(<14% Alcohol)
$0.20/gallon 0.8¢ (5 oz.) $0.45/gallon
Distilled Spirits $2.40/gallon 2.8¢ (1.5 oz.) $5.38/gallon
Source: Diaz, M.C., & Chaloupka, F.J. (2014) The Effects of Alcohol
Excise Tax Increases in Texas.

37. $0.00
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
$4.00
$5.00
$6.00
$7.00
Texas Louisiana Arkansas Oklahoma New Mexico
Excise tax per gallon Beer
Excise tax per gallon Wine
Excise tax per gallon Distilled Spirits
Source: Alcohol Policy Information System,
http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/, 03/2016

38. * Total Alcohol Tax Collections include: mixed beverage tax, beer, wine ,
liquor and malt excise tax,
and airline/passenger train beverage tax.
2013Dollars(InMillionsofDollars)

39. Changes in Consumption Given Various Excise Tax Increases
Proposed Tax Increase per Drink
$ 0.05 $ 0.10 $ 0.25 $ 0.30
Reduction in Spirit Consumption -5.8% -11.5% -28.9% -34.6%
Reduction in Wine Consumption -3.5% -7.0% -17.5% -21.1%
Reduction in Beer Consumption -4.2% -8.4% -21.0% -25.2%
Increase in Alcohol Tax Revenue
(in millions)
$ 383.00 $ 707.99 $1,419.3
5
$1,568.5
9
Source: Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 2014 and Diaz and
Chaloupka. The Effects of Alcohol Excise Tax Increases in Texas, 2014.

40. Alcohol Tax and Price
Increases
Binge drinking, Crime,
Sexual Assaults,
Homicide, Suicide,
Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, STDs,
Violence Against
Children

41. Total Number
Percent Attributable
to Alcohol
Consumption
Total Attributable
to Alcohol
Consumption
Expected Reduction
with 10 Cent
Increase per Drink
Traffic Deaths 3,398 38% 1,296 112
Homicides 1,363 47% 641 55
Alcoholic Liver disease 1,083 100% 1,083 93
Liver Cirrhosis 2,274 40% 910 78
Alcohol Abuse 82 100% 82 7
Suicide 2,889 23% 664 57
Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome 771 100% 771 66
Teenage Pregnancy 48,424 9% 4,165 359
Alcohol Dependence or
Abuse 1,313,000 100% 1,313,000 113,205
Heavy Alcohol Use 1,200,000 100% 1,200,000 103,462
Underage Drinking in
the past 30 days 1,512,932 36% 544,656 46,959
Underage Binge
Drinking 1,512,932 21% 317,716 27,393
Reductions in Mortality, Illness, and Violence (Texas 2013)
Mortality
Illness and Teenage Pregnancy
Prevelance of Underage Drinking (15-18 year olds)
Source: Diaz,M.C., Chaloupka, F.J., Jernigan, D.H., The Effects of Alcohol
Excise Tax Increases on Public Health and Safety in Texas, pg. 10 (2015)

42.  Poll on KVUE-ABC Austin, March 2015
◦ Do you think raising the tax on alcohol would
reduce Underage Drinking?
 Yes 73%
 No 27%
 Texas Lyceum Poll 2010
◦ Majority of Texans say increasing alcohol taxes
would be their first or second choice to raise
additional revenue to cover budget shortfalls

43. The Zero Alcohol for Youth Campaign
is a youth-led, adult-supported,
community-wide campaign to address
underage drinking in communities
across Texas.

44. San Antonio Police Explorers Post # 399 South Patrol

49. 16 oz.
bottle of
milk
16 oz.
bottle of
juice
20 oz.
bottle of
soda
16 oz.
can of
beer

50. 16 oz.
bottle of
milk
$1.59*
16 oz.
bottle of
juice
1.89*
20 oz.
bottle of
soda
$1.59*
16 oz.
can of
beer
$1.59*

51. www.dimeadrinktx.org
• Simple Information
• Myths vs. Facts
• Issue Brief
• Impact Report
• Resolution
Source: www.dimeadrinktx.org

52.  Excise Tax
◦ Reducing overall alcohol consumption statewide
 Social Host Accountability
◦ Reducing underage drinking locally

53. Access Point Most of the time Always Total
Home 8.1 3.1 11.2
Friends 15.4 5.5 20.9
Parties 14.1 14.3 28.4
Store 3.6 1.2 4.8
Other
Sources
7.1 6 13.1
DSHS, TSS (2012)

54. Social
Access
•Friends
•Parties
•Adult purchasers
•Family members
• 63% of secondary students
DSHS, TSS (2012)

55. Parties are high risk
settings for binge
drinking and
consequences
Alcohol provided free
or at low cost per
drink
Often unsupervised;
sometimes with
parental/adult
permission
Increased risk for DUI,
riding with drunk
driver, sexual assault,
violence,
injuries, vandalism

56. A tweet sent out by someone believed to be an organizer says "We hired
an off duty cop, he doesn't care about smoking and drinking, all he
cares about is keeping tonight with 0 fights. Let's party.“
(source; Fox News San Antonio)

58. Who is a Social Host?
An individual who provides alcohol to minors in a
home or other private property and/or is the
“responsible party” of a social setting where
underage drinking occurs
Accountability
Local ordinance that impose civil penalties against
individuals (social hosts) responsible for underage
drinking events on property they own, lease, or
otherwise control.

59. Class A Misdemeanor
• Purchasing/Furnishing alcohol to minors is a Class A
misdemeanor – just one degree below a felony
Penalties
• Up to 1 year in jail and $4,ooo fine.
• Possible suspension of DL for 180 days
• Up to 4o hours of alcohol education and/or
community service
Allows for parent, legal guardian, or
spouse
• To give alcohol to their own minor if in plain visible
sight at all times of consumption

60. You can be held civilly liable for
damages caused by the intoxication of
a minor younger than 18.
If you knowingly provided alcohol or
allowed the minor to be served alcohol
on property owned or leased, and…
They, in turn, hurt someone, hurt
themselves, or damage property.

61. Current Texas law can be difficult to enforce.
Carries a high burden of proof
Lack of understanding and disregard of the law
Social belief that Underage Drinking is normal
“A rite of passage” “Going to happen anyway”

62. A local law that holds adults civilly liable for providing
alcohol to minors and/or has responsibility for social
setting where underage drinking occurs.
Ideally includes
Civil Penalties
Cost Recovery
Component
Goal
Create Adult
Accountability
Reduce Large
Underage
Drinking Parties

63. Social
Host
Ordinance
Civil
Penalty
Cost
Recovery
Due
Process
Nuisance
or Zoning
Code
Violation

64. An evidence-based, organized, tactical
response to underage drinking parties.
San Antonio Police
Academy;
SAPD Tactical Unit,
Police Explorers,
(2015)

65. Goals:
 Safely contain the party participants
 Issue appropriate citations
 Effectively control release to parents
 Identify & hold responsible those who supplied the alcohol
 Creates Media Awareness
SAPD Training
(2015)

66. Outcomes
 Reduces size and frequency of parties
 Publicize consequences
 Focus attention on underlying problem
 Promotes unified, community-wide approach to creating a
safer healthier community
San Antonio
AACOG 2013

67. Act as a
Community
Lifeguard
Report
underage
drinking
parties
Reduce Youth
Access to
Alcohol
Complete a
Price
Comparison
Survey
Be a
Spokesperson
Educate the
public on the
costs and
dangers
Advocate for
Social Host
Accountability
Advocate for
schools to
collect data
Join the COSA
Coalition
Help build
community
awareness
Learn more
about
strategies

68. Join us
Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition
Meets on second Wednesday of each month
3:00PM-4:30PM
www.circlesofsa.org
Complete the COSA Community Agreement
Evaluations and Q/A
Presentation can be found on
www.slideshare.net/circlesofSA

69. You’re an essential piece!
Visit our Social Media Pages
facebook.com/CirclesofSA
twitter.com/CirclesofSA
youtube.com/CirclesofSA
Boyd Baxter, IPS, CPS
Coalition Coordinator
bbaxter@sacada.org
Betsy Jones, MPA
Coalition Coordinator
bjones@sacada.org
Rudy Lopez, BA
Coalition Coordinator
rlopez@sacada.org

70. References
 Texans Standing Tall www.texansstandingtall.org
 Texans for Education, Health and Safety www.dimeadrinktx.org
 http://www.samhsa.gov/capt/sites/default/files/images/spf-diagram-lg.jpg
 Diaz,M.C., Chaloupka, F.J., Jernigan, D.H., The Effects of Alcohol Excise Tax
Increases on Public Health and Safety in Texas, (2015)
 Fox News San Antonio, http://www.foxsanantonio.com/news/features/top-
stories/stories/edgewood-isd-officer-investigated-underage-drinking-
party-4587.shtml#.U6scUk1OWM9
 Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, (2013) Section 106.06 AB Code, TABC
 Circles of San Antonio. (2015). Community Needs Assessment. San Antonio:
San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
 Department of State Health Services. Texas School Survey of Substance Use
among Students, Grades 7-12, (2012)
 Texas Dept. of Transportation, Texans Standing Tall, Zero Alcohol for Youth
Campaign
 Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use, 2014.
 Texas Survey of Substance Use Among College Students, 2005, 2013, 2015.