Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

Module 3: Putting Environmental Strategies To Work - Page 16 of 28

Border Binge-Drinking Reduction Program

a burma shave style sign that reads 'cheap drinks only one mile!'

The SAMHSA Model Program, Border Binge-Drinking Reduction Program, uses an environmental approach to curb irresponsible drinking practices in U.S. border towns. The program was developed by Robert B. Voas at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) and James Baker, the founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS). Binge drinking is typically defined as having five or more drinks in a row for men, or four or more drinks for women.

Although the Border Binge-Drinking Reduction Program is designed to reduce alcohol-related trauma caused by cross-border heavy episodic alcohol use -- "binge drinking" -- many of the strategies are applicable in other settings to address high-risk drinking among underage youth and young adults. In particular, this includes the strategy of using data (such as survey results) to reinforce messages and build support for policy changes and social norms. This allows prevention professionals to prove that their intervention efforts are having an effect on local communities.

The Problem of Binge-Drinking

Underage and binge drinking is a serious problem for communities along the United States/Mexico border (and the United States/Canada border). Whereas the minimum drinking age in all 50 U.S. States is 21, the legal drinking age is 19 in Canada and 18 in Mexico. Border towns, particularly along the Mexican border, draw in young people with cheap alcohol promotions, such as "all you can drink," "ladies' night free drinks," and other specials. The availability of alcohol and lack of enforcement has drawn as many as 5,000 youth and young adults from San Diego to Tijuana on weekend evenings. ref

The cheap drink prices and unrestrained party atmosphere with servers known to pour unlimited quantities of straight tequila down the throats of patrons ref promote binge drinking. Surveys of youth crossing the border indicated that the marketing techniques achieved the intended effects: 47 percent of young people surveyed going into Mexico said they intended to get drunk, and 28 percent of those returning from the bars said they had consumed five or more drinks. ref

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