Conceptual Fit: Sample Risk Factors and Interventions for Underage Drinking

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CAPT

This chart includes examples of prevention interventions that are a good conceptual fit for a variety of risk factors for underage drinking.

Conceptual fit describes the degree to which a prevention approach clearly addresses the problems and factors that contribute to substance use in the community. The following chart presents some examples of prevention interventions that are a good conceptual fit for a variety of risk factors for underage drinking.

Risk Factors	Possible Interventions
Social Access
Party hosts and people furnishing alcohol believe that they will not be caught or punished.	Increase enforcement of furnishing and hosting laws (e.g., party patrols, shoulder-tap checks) Media campaign and/or media advocacy describing penalties for furnishing and hosting, and campaign on social host liability Work with media to publicize incidents of furnishers/hosts being caught and prosecuted
Community norms support the practice of adults hosting drinking parties for teens as an inevitable “rite of passage.”	Social marketing campaign targeting community norms
Parents feel that their children will drink anyway, so they prefer that they are “safe” and drink at home.	Social marketing campaign aimed at parents
Parents are not monitoring their home alcohol supply.	Social marketing campaign aimed at parents
Retail Access
Low prices make alcohol accessible to youth.	Alcohol tax increase
Clerks don’t check IDs. Clerks do not know how to recognize fake IDs.	Merchant education and clerk training Partner with retailers Compliance checks
Retail merchants laws are not enforced.	Compliance checks
Low Enforcement
Lack of enforcement by police of underage drinking laws. Lack of prosecution by judges of underage drinking laws.	Enforcement of existing underage age drinking laws and prosecution of existing underage drinking laws Work with media to publicize incidents of underage drinking Partner with law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office regarding prosecution
Promoting Alcohol Use
Alcohol use is promoted through advertising, movies, music.	Restrict alcohol advertising Restrict alcohol-related promotional events in community settings
Peer Norms
Peer norms favor alcohol use.	Social marketing campaign targeting peer norms around substance use Education curriculum
Family Norms
Parent or sibling uses alcohol (or there is the perception that a parent or sibling uses alcohol).	Social marketing campaign targeting family norms around substance use Education curriculum
Parental monitoring of their children (or perception of monitoring) is limited.	Social marketing campaign targeting parental monitoring Education curriculum
Parental care or involvement with their children is low.	Education curriculum
Perception of Harm
Perception of harm from alcohol use is low.	Social marketing campaign targeting perceptions of harm Education curriculum

Developed under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies contract. Reference #HHSS277200800004C. For training and/or technical assistance purposes only.

Determining Fit [1]