1. An Adventure in Policy Making
Social Host
An Adventure in Policy Making

2. Hello All! Melissa Dotter Drug Free Communities Program
Marathon County Health Department
Marathon County AOD Partnership Council
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you tonight about what we’ve done in Marathon County with alcohol policy, and what you can do here in La Crosse to impact the culture of alcohol.
A little bit about me…
I’ve worked in public health, specifically in substance abuse prevention, for over 10 years
I’ve seen how changes in the community, both in culture and policy, can impact how we do things
My position is currently funded through a federal SAMHSA grant, but I’ve worked in communities how had no budget for SA prevention
Appreciation for both

3. 5X Underage Drinking The Problem
We’ve heard a great deal tonight about the problem of underage drinking…
Wisconsin ranks #1 in almost every category in the nation related to alcohol – Including alcohol consumption, binge drinking, drinking and driving, and 30-day use amongst teens.
Kids drink hard, Kids drink fast…they do NOT drink a few beers while watching a game. The goal is to get drunk!
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Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years.
Between 2010 and 2011 – there were 236 underage drinking citations written by the Sheriff’s Dept.
According to the 2010 Wausau Risk and Behavior Survey –½ of yr old high school freshman reported using alcohol at least once, with approx. ¼ using in the past 30 days.
These numbers have been improving over the years, but we still have a lot of work to do.

4. Death Underage Drinking The Consequences Poisoning Memory Loss Falls
Brain Damage
Suicide
STDs
Pregnancy
Drop Outs
Addiction
There are many consequences to underage drinking, the most severe being death.
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From 2010 through Sept 2011 – 687 underage drinking citations were issued in Wausau (356 & 331 respectively)
Assaults
Fighting
Other Drug Use
Car Accident

5. Underage Drinking Access To Alcohol
Why is this happening?
Access To Alcohol
While there are many things that contribute to underage drinking…
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ACCESS to ALCOHOL is a major factor. From 2010 through Sept 2011 – 90 people have been cited for giving or selling alcohol to a minor (57 & 35 respectively) in the City of Wausau.

6. There are two main places to youth access alcohol – At Retail Stores (licensed establishments), possibly with fake, borrowed or altered IDs, & through Social Connections (family, friends).

7. Underage Drinking Retail Access
What is being done?
Retail Access
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There have been great strides taken to address retail access in the community.
Working together across the jurisdictions to ensure youth are not getting their alcohol from licenses establishments – Some Examples:
Partnerships between law enforcement, the AOD Council, North Central Tech & Tavern League for Responsible Beverage Server (RBS) training
Offering tuitions scholarships – through grants
LEAST Training – Law Enforcement Alcohol Server Training – Abbreviated RBS – travel to businesses to educate
Compliance Checks (INSERT DATA HERE)
FUN FACT: WI is the only state in the US who allows minors of any age to go to licensed establishments with their parents and be served alcohol (TX allows, but on a county by county basis).

8. Underage Drinking Social Access
What is being done?
Social Access
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Social Access is a harder nut to crack. The balance between a parent’s rights and the health and wellbeing of their children is regularly discussed.
While a vast majority of parents and others old enough to buy don’t break the law, there are still those that do.
Many adults are under the impression that if they take the keys, everything will be fine and they are “teaching” kids to drink responsibly. But, responsible drinking involves much more than addressing drinking and driving. It is about the difference between high risk and low risk alcohol consumption. High risk consumption can lead to other negative consequences beyond drunk driving accidents (poisoning, falls/accidents, sexual assaults, other crime). And, our youth can learn to drink responsibly without consuming a single drop if the adults around them are appropriate models.
One proven strategy to reduce social access to alcohol is the passage of social host ordinances.
It only takes one party, one bad decision, to cause heartache.

9. A 21st Century Solution to a Century Old Problem
Social Host Ordinance
A 21st Century Solution to a Century Old Problem
We are here tonight to talk about an incredible opportunity. The opportunity to address an issue that has been around a long time…
First, allow me to share a bit of information with you about the Marathon County AOD PC
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10. 2009-2010 2011-Today Notable List Kenosha Neenah Reedsville
N Fond Du Lac
Fond Du Lac
Manitowoc
Two Rivers
Prairie Du Chien
Manitowoc County
Winnebago County
Marathon County
Wausau (Marathon)
Rothschild (Marathon)
Kronenwetter (Marathon)
Weston (Marathon)
Schofield (Marathon)
**Under Debate in other areas of the state
2011-Today

11. PROVIDES A LOCATION for underage drinking to take place
Social Host Ordinance
What it is...
Penalizes ANYONE who
PROVIDES A LOCATION for underage drinking to take place
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Location – Includes home, land, hotel room, cabin/cottage, camper or boat
The Penalty = Municipal Forfeiture not including court costs – Doesn’t go on criminal record – The goal is not to put people in jail. The wide range of the forfeiture in this ordinance allows for a community to measure severity of offense and if this is someone who’s hosted before. It is important to keep this penalty high to deter any infractions.
Forfeiture – Up to $5000

12. Social Host Ordinance What it isn’t... Duplication of State Law
Elimination of Parental Rights
Throw People in Jail
Not Same as Civil Liability
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Statute 125 of WI State Law – Prohibits the selling, dispensing or giving alcohol to underage persons (not including parent/child), but does not include penalizing those that provide the location for these parties to take place.
This ordinance does not take away a parents right address alcohol to their children – it penalizes them for giving it to someone else’s children.
Not a criminal offense – municipal citation
Ordinance is not same as civil liability laws which allow those injured or perished to sue in civil court for damages

13. Underage drinking parties will not be tolerated!
Social Host Ordinance
The Benefits
Broader Definition
Underage drinking parties will not be tolerated!
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Covers a wide range of situations that a the state law didn’t see – where an underage person could end up just as drunk, in as much trouble, or just as dead. With state law you need to show who provided the alcohol, with SH, you just need to prove who provided the location.
Burden of proof is less compared to the criminal offenses, and includes “known or should have known” as it relates to any private premises available for underage drinking – compared to state law
Flexibility to be reviewed on a case by case basis
Marathon County can proclaim that ANYONE who hosts these parties will receive a swift and certain punishment if they break the law. **This could be the start of a sweeping wildfire of ordinances throughout the Wausau Metro Area, and all of Marathon County. People are watching.

14. Enforcement
Reports of underage drinking parties are already being investigated…
this ordinance would
give law enforcement
one more tool to
hold the person responsible
for the location accountable…
One of the first questions we got was “is this going to be any undue stress on local PDs”

15. Another example of messages the AOD Council is getting out to the community through cinema advertising.
Your message to the community can be clear…DON’T INVITE TROUBLE INTO YOUR HOME BY HOSTING UNDERAGE DRINKING PARTIES.

16. Why Partner with Local Coalitions??
Experts in PREVENTION
Power in DIVERSITY
As community coalitions…we all could do a better job at promoting ourselves.
Community coalitions are made up all walks of life. Schools, health care, government, parents, youth, civic or community groups, youth serving organizations and other interested parties all working together with law enforcement to impact community issues
Resources and connections throughout the state
We know what works…
Mobilize group behind an issue
Educate policy makers
Shared vision for community
“Joe Public” – people on the ground who can both be a resource to you through information and from you through local media
Positive view of coalitions, especially when it comes to address underage drinking

17. What’s the biggest perk?
Sharing the Load
As resources are decreased, expectations continue to rise to do more with less. By working together, we all will be able to have greater impact on the community.
Wouldn’t it be easier to try to put things in place to decrease future problems than just react and do the same thing over and over?

18. What can Local Coalitions Do to Help?
Example of one way we’ve changed the physical environment with a traveling billboard about social host
Provide information to local schools, media (LTEs or public thank yous) –Big help with municipal leadership
Build Skills – present to the different leadership to get buy in…
Provide Support - Show up…publicly support effforts
Access to draft ordinances - there are a number of communities who’ve passed…I believe that the proposed rewrite of Wausau’s ordinance, which was modeled after the copy in the ACE report is the strongest and most closely conforms to state statute
Changing the consequences of actions through policy
What can Local Coalitions Do to Help?

19. Policies, Policies, Policies
Going through this process, we’ve learned a lot as far as wording, common questions/concerns, and fully recognize each community is going to want to put their finger print on it.
The end goal again…to reduce youth access to alcohol by holding those that host underage drinking parties and PROVIDE A LOCATION accountable. Giving LE one more tool when you arrive on the scene.

20. 715-261-1962 melissa.dotter@co.marathon.wi.us
Questions?
Melissa Dotter
Point out website!