Pennsylvania liquor organization awards funding for underage drinking prevention

By Staff Writer

In an effort to prevent underage and dangerous drinking, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) recently announced that it will award grants totaling $903,522 to 72 organizations throughout the state.

Since 1999, the PLCB has awarded more than $4.5 million in grants to 246 organizations in order to fund prevention programs focused on underage alcohol consumption, as well as initiatives supporting law-enforcement investigations of under-age drinking.

"The PLCB remains committed to the fight against alcohol misuse and abuse," said Jerry Waters, director of the Liquor Control Board's Office of Regulatory Affairs. "So long as binge drinking among college students and other misuse of alcohol remain a problem in Pennsylvania communities, we will support research and programs to address it."

Of the grants awarded, 22 will fund community law-enforcement efforts, 18 will be used to support alcohol education campaigns aimed at reducing the age at which children begin drinking, and 32 college and university grants will help schools develop strategies to eliminate underage and dangerous alcohol use.

The PLCB's efforts include social norms campaigns to change how students think about alcohol and binge drinking, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students - which is a program to help those who drink heavily make less risky alcohol use decisions - counseling training and activities, as well as college alcohol risk assessments of the campus and surrounding areas to identify issues leading to alcohol problems.