Youth leaders in the Drug Intervention Group (DIG) met to review past DIG group activities and through this project plan to reduce youth related problems of underage drinking, such as DUI, car crashes, violence, assaults, irresponsible sexual activity, and binge drinking; through outreach and education to students, parents, alcohol merchants, and policy makers. For students, DIG youth leaders will give a presentation called 'Casey's Pledge' (a DVD about a young girl who was killed by a drunk driver), which includes making a statement at the end about committing to not drinking and driving, or riding with a drunk driver. This will be presented in assembly format in a district high school. Then, DIG youth leaders will present 'Casey's Pledge' to leadership students at 2 additional high schools so that student leaders will be able to replicate the Casey's Pledge trainings and presentation to other students at their schools. As a part of this process the student leaders will be provided with the 'Casey's Pledge' kit, so they will have the necessary tools to continue providing this training. Next, DIG youth leaders will plan 2 activities (such as field trips to museum or sporting event) to demonstrate saying no is not enough and there need to be other alternative positive activities to drinking. This will include attending the National Crime Prevention Summit in 2010. For parents, DIG youth leaders will provide information at community events for parents to become educated about the impacts of underage drinking, and their role in prevention. DIG youth leaders annually participate in community events such as Cinco de Mayo, Cesar Chavez Health Fair, Downtown Market, Kaiser Neighbors in Health fair. For alcohol merchants, DIG youth leaders will design and coordinate the third annual Responsible Alcohol Merchant Awards (RAMA). The leaders will partners with City law enforcement, and the Sonoma County Dept. of Health Services to educate the community, and award alcohol merchants who have business practices that prevent underage drinking. This outreach campaign includes sending out letters about safe practices around responsible alcohol sales. DIG youth leaders then interview alcohol merchants to assess safe practices, policies and procedures, and work with the police department to ascertain that those with best practices in place have not been cited or observed to be out of compliance. Responsible alcohol merchants are then selected and awarded at a city council/board of supervisors meeting. For policy makers, DIG youth leaders will host a Take It Back community briefing for policy makers, community based agencies and other adults, based on this national movement to reduce alcohol problems focused on research and action. The Take if Back format includes presentation on the scope of the problems related to underage drinking, a panel of experts, and recommendations from youth on how to reduce these problems.

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