The Chesapeake Ranch Estates (CRE) Underage Alcohol Abuse Reduction Team (UAART) has established strategies from three focus areas for tackling a longtime community problem. Team members met Oct. 24 at CRE’s clubhouse.


The coalition—comprised of representatives from law enforcement, education, the clergy, teenagers, business owners, health providers and CRE residents—was established to address the issue of underage drinking and its deadly effects on the community. The effort is federally funded through a Maryland Strategic Prevention Framework (MSPF) grant and mandates that UAART reduce the number of youth ages 12-20 who report past month alcohol abuse, reduce the number of young persons age 15-25 who report past month binge drinking and reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes involving youth age 16-25.

 

The five-year grant is being evaluated by the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Kendall Sorenson-Clark is serving as the MSPF local evaluator.

 

“We wait until we have a problem,” said Sorenson-Clark regarding the long-term failure of initiatives that have been undertaken to stop underage drinking. She pointed out while many communities address the issue with treatment programs, that strategy alone doesn’t provide a long-term solution. “When I’m out of money, I’m out of work,” said Sorenson-Clark. “What we are trying to do is fix the whole environment.” 

 

According to Anna Black, MSPF program monitor for the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA), the strategies discussed by three groups of citizens during the session will be incorporated in a plan that will be forwarded to the Maryland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration for their approval.

 

The focus of UAART’s plan will be educating parents about issues such as local underage drinking, youth access to alcohol etc. through newsletters and meetings with youth groups, clubs and athletics; media campaigns for the purpose of educating and advocating for specific outcomes; and establishing procedures for “party patrols” targeting open parties in residential areas.

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