Hoping to find out the community’s perception about the use of alcohol by local teenagers, members of the Teen Alcohol Prevention Program (TAPP) want the opinions of local residents.
A survey — which seeks responses to statements such as: “I am concerned about underage drinking in Owen County;” “I know parents / adults who host parties where alcohol is served or available to youth;” and “Underage drinking laws are fairly enforced in Owen County” — is being circulated to provide basic information about teen alcohol use in the community.
“The survey asks questions about people’s perception of the problem,” said Tony Watkins, a member of the TAPP coalition. “We have to know where to start. We have to know if people in the community think underage drinking is a problem.”
The survey is one of the first steps the coalition will take in its effort to reduce underage drinking in the community. Because the prevalence of underage drinking is so high in Owen County, it was one of only two counties in the state to be awarded a federal grant to implement a prevention program. The estimated $1.2 million grant will span a five-year period.
Owen County was picked based on a number of surveys that determine the drinking levels in the community. In addition, the community’s readiness to tackle the problem added to the desirability for the selection committee.
In addition to the survey, the coalition is looking for a coordinator for the program. That person will be employed by North Key, the fiscal agent for the program, and will put into place the strategies coalition members determine are right for the community.
Those strategies could include for example, a keg registration program and partnership with adjoining counties where local residents purchase their alcohol. The keg registration would make it possible to prosecute the person who purchased the keg if underage drinkers are discovered at a party where it’s located.
Other strategies could include lobbying the legislature to make the purchase of alcohol for a minor a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, as it currently is.
“We hope to get 1,000 of the surveys back,” Watkins said. “We’ll be distributing them at various locations in the community including the family practice and hospital, the health department, at the back-to-school bash next week, through the grocery stores and at local businesses. Dairy Queen will give away a small ice cream cone to anyone who returns the survey there. They can also be dropped off at Three Rivers Health Department. A survey is also included in this edition of The News-Herald.
“We really want to blanket the community,” Watkins said. “We want to know what the residents think before we move forward.”

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