Engaging youth in alcohol policy: The Lee Law Project

Mosher, J., & D’Andrea, M. (2015). Engaging youth in alcohol policy: The Lee Law Project.  The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4 (2), 113-118. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i2.206 Aims: (1) Conduct a pilot project to test the effectiveness of a youth development “toolkit” designed to reduce youth exposure to signage on liquor store windows; (2) Highlight the disparity in violation rates of a state law limiting window signage on liquor store windows between low income communities of color and higher income, predominantly Anglo communities. Design : Pilot project/case study. Participating young people, working with adult coaches, photographed liquor store windows in three communities and determined level of compliance with state law limiting liquor store window signage to 33 percent of total window area and requiring clear view of cash register area in the store. Setting: Three communities in Santa Cruz County, California, with diverse income and racial/ethnic compositions. Participants: 71 liquor stores. Measures: Compliance rates of participating liquor stores with state law limiting the amount and placement of window signage. Findings: Low income, predominantly Latino community had significantly lower compliance rates than two nearby higher income, Anglo communities. Youth participants successfully engaged community organizations and policy makers in advocating for voluntary compliance. Conclusions: The toolkit provides a promising model for engaging youth in alcohol policy reform and reducing youth exposure to liquor store signage.