Implementing Community-Level Policies to Prevent Alcohol Misuse

Alcohol misuse is responsible for approximately 140,000 deaths per year in the U.S., 4,000 of them among people under age 21.  Community (geographic and population) efforts are critical to not only prevent deaths but to reduce even more prevalent alcohol-related harms that occur among people who drink at relatively low or moderate levels.

SAMHSA has issued the above-titled guide for communities, the prevention workforce, and other stakeholders to implement policies at multiple levels to reduce youth and adult alcohol misuse.  The guide reviews the prevention literature, develops evidence into recommendations for practice, and provides examples of how stakeholders have implemented the recommendations.

The 68-page guide and a 2-page overview are available in SAMHSA’s online store.