Jefferson County Preventionist: What Are Environmental Prevention Strategies?

Environmental prevention strategies are interventions that modify or change the environment in which individuals make choices. Environmental strategies focus on changing the environment in ways that encourage people to make healthy choices (Frieden, 2010; Pettibone, Friend, Nargiso, & Florin, 2013). Environmental strategies for substance misuse prevention are rooted in a public health approach that targets change across entire populations or communities.

Environmental strategies can be used to decrease the incidence of substance misuse as well as the harmful consequences of misuse (e.g., motor vehicle accidents and crime).

Examples of environmental strategies that have suggested promise include:

- merchant training to reduce illegal sales to minors

- media campaigns to change community norms tolerant of underage drinking

-social host liability laws that impose civil liability for adults who host parties where underage drinking is allowed.

Benefits of implementing environmental versus individual-focused strategies include improved sustainability, broader reach, and in many cases, better cost efficiency.

For the purposes of this article, the focus will be merchant training. In 2011, the Montana Legislature passed the Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service Act (RASS Training) into law. The Act requires that all licensees and any employee who serves or sells alcohol receive server certification within 60 days of hire and every three years after that.

The state of Montana, through the Department of Revenue (DOR), has trained numerous individuals to instruct these classes. In Jefferson County, Barb Reiter, JC Prevention Specialist, and Lee Benner, Chair of the JC DUI Task Force, provide and teach these classes as needed by county businesses.

These classes include the following content:

- clarifying the laws regarding sales of alcohol

- fines and liability associated with non-compliance

- ID validation

- dealing with intoxicated individuals

- secondary sales, etc.

After businesses receive this training information, it is common for Law Enforcement to perform compliance checks. Alcohol Compliance Checks are an operation conducted by law enforcement with the goal of ensuring compliance with state alcohol sales laws. During the operation, an underage individual, or individuals, enter the business and attempt to purchase alcohol. In the event the seller requests identification, the underage person must provide their state-issued form of identification and must be completely honest as to their identity and age at all times.

Following the guidelines by requiring the youth to provide honest information regarding their age is essential to the integrity of the compliance check. The goal is to ensure businesses are following the law. Our hope is that everyone passes the compliance checks.

Alcohol Compliance Checks are a priority and support the current statewide initiative “Vision Zero” to eliminate deaths and injuries on MT highways and address the alcohol “culture” in Montana. The Jefferson County DUI Task Force, at their regular monthly meetings, reviews both the RASS class process and compliance check initiatives to address the issues with alcohol the county faces. Underage drinking and drinking and driving continue to challenge Law Enforcement’s efforts in Jefferson County. Compliance checks are a way to ensure that our kids aren’t getting alcohol from our stores, bars, and restaurants.”

Environmental strategies must be supported and implemented by multiple constituencies within a community to be successful. Please join in this effort to save lives. Each of us can make a difference.