MCRUD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
As MCRUD staff travel throughout Michigan and interact with those around the country working to prevent underage drinking, there are several questions that we are frequently asked about MCRUD. In addition, there are several assumptions that are made which we find ourselves ether confirming or needing to correct. Below is a list of points that may be helpful to those of you not familiar with MCRUD, or those who have been with us for awhile, but have never asked those important questions.
What is MCRUD and what is its mission?
Does MCRUD recommend one specific approach, program, initiative, speaker, or curriculum?
What do you mean by "environmental change?"
How does MCRUD know what to promote or assist with when they work with a community?
Is MCRUD part of the Robert Wood Johnson/American Medical Association "RUD State" system?
Who does MCRUD believe is at fault or most responsible for underage drinking?
Does MCRUD work with or accept funds from the alcohol beverage industry?
Who does MCRUD believe should be a part of the solution or included in the discussion?
What does MCRUD believe regarding
working with youth?
How do I get involved with the MCRUD
Steering Committee?
What is MCRUD and what is its mission?
MCRUD is the Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. The mission of the Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking is to provide leadership on state and national issues and to assists individuals, grassroots groups, and organizations to reduce underage drinking locally. Our primary mission is to assist you at the local level with the issues you have identified. Therefore, the majority of our work is done at the local level. Any work done at a larger level, state-wide or nationally, is done to support local grassroots efforts.
Does MCRUD recommend one specific approach, program, initiative, speaker, or curriculum?
To fulfill our mission, MCRUD uses various approaches which are appropriate based on the community’s make-up and needs. We do not have a one-size-fits-all-communities approach or a specific “program” which we use everywhere. We do encourage communities to look at the environment and see if there are any changes that can be made that will help youth not use alcohol. We call this an "environmental change approach."
What do you mean by "environmental change?"
Youth make decisions based on the environment where they have lived and currently live in. Environmental change approaches generally deal with one of these four issues:
Where youth GET alcohol
Where youth USE alcohol
How youth GET AWAY WITH USING alcohol
Why youth THINK THEY NEED TO USE alcohol
How does MCRUD know what to promote or assist with when they work with a community?
We encourage ALL communities to look around their own community and identify specific issues that either encourage underage drinking or support teens in their decision not to use alcohol. This will be the basis of any assistance we can give, trainings we might suggest, or recommendations we might make.
Is MCRUD part of the Robert Wood Johnson/American Medical Association "RUD State" system?
Several years ago, the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) awarded twelve states a multi-year grant to form coalition to
reduce underage drinking (RUD States). Michigan did not receive RWJ RUD state
funding. The American Medical Association provided the national coordination
and technical assistance for these coalitions. We are, and always have
been, funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and our
single state substance abuse prevention agency, the Office of Drug Control
Policy. Both of these agencies have been a part of MCRUD from the beginning.
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Who does MCRUD believe is at fault or most responsible for underage drinking?
We believe that pointing the finger or placing "blame" for underage drinking does not address the fact that a young person makes decisions based not only on their upbringing, but also the environment in which they are currently in. Blaming parents, or schools, or law enforcement, or the alcohol industry, or the teens themselves does not do justice to the complexity of the problem, nor does it assist groups in identifying solutions that will have a real impact.
Does MCRUD work with or accept funds from the alcohol beverage industry?
MCRUD does not accept funds or in-kind contributions from alcohol makers, distributors, or retailers or their trade associations, but we are willing to discuss issues with them and will allow them to attend our meetings to present their information. Please see our written policy on this issue.
Who does MCRUD believe should be a part of the solution or included in the discussion?
MCRUD believes that all sectors of a community must be involved if a meaningful solution is to be reached. Those with the passion to prevent underage drinking will lead, those who can help wiull follow, those with their own agenda will eventually stop showing up.
What does MCRUD believe regarding
working with youth?
We believe you should involve youth at every appropriate level in every
way you can. By this we mean that youth can be a powerful advocate for
change, as well as a wealth of information as to what the issues are in your
community. We believe that any young person who wants to be involved should be
included, regardless of their past decisions. This includes teens with
minor in possession tickets or teens in treatment and recovery.
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If our community group wants to do a
"mock crash", "dead day", or other program like this, will MCRUD help us plan
it?
We believe that "scare tactics" (such as mock crashes or using graphic
images) have not been proven to have an impact on a teen's decision in a long
term way, and therefore try to steer local groups into doing more meaningful
programs. That being said, we will work with a group that has made the
decision to do a mock crash or other "scare tactic" initiative to try to make
the initiative more meaningful.
How do I get involved with the MCRUD
Steering Committee?
MCRUD Steering Committee meetings are open to the public and we always
welcome new members. As stated above, our meetings are open to members
of the alcohol beverage industry. However, we will not accept
representatives of the alcohol beverage industry as voting members of the
state wide Steering Committee. (Please
see our written policy on this issue.) Meetings are typically held
in Lansing, but sometimes will be held in other communities. We welcome
those interested to contact us to get dates and locations of upcoming
meetings. You can see the list of upcoming meeting dates here.
How do I get started locally?
There may be people in your community who are already working on this
issue. They may be professional or volunteer groups, but most would be
willing to accept new members. You can start by calling us, and if we
know of anyone in your area, we will try to connect you. If we don't
know a group that is working on the issue, we might be able to refer you to
the agency in your area that might know better than we do. You can
always contact us and ask. Our phone number is 800-968-4968, and the
MCRUD Coordinator's e-mail is kend@preventionnetwork.org.
I have heard that MCRUD gives grants
for local underage drinking prevention activities. Can we get one?
MCRUD is a program of Prevention Network. Prevention Network
administers two grant programs. These grants are for volunteer
grassroots community groups working on locally identified issues that relate
to underage drinking and other alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use issues. You can get more information
about these grants, including an application, by calling Prevention Network at
800-968-4968. There is a an Underage Drinking Prevention grant that is
available to volunteer community groups for any amount up to $2,500.
MCRUD believes that preventing underage drinking is everybody’s business. Not just parents. Not just the schools. Or law enforcement. Or human service agencies. Or politicians. Or the alcohol industry. Or young people. Everybody.
If you have a question about how MCRUD is operated, what MCRUD does, or any other question that we have not answered, please contact MCRUD Coordinator Ken Dail at 800-968-4968 or kend@preventionnetwork.org. You can also get more information about Prevention Network by calling us at 800-968-4968, or visiting their web site at www.preventionnetwork.org.
MCRUD Home LAST UPDATED: March 14, 2008