Community Strategies for the Reduction of Youth Drinking: Theory and Application

We review the core concepts and key propositions from several theories concerning youth alcohol use, and we integrate them into a single theory of drinking behavior. The resulting model illustrates the centrality of social interaction in influencing drinking and the critical importance of changing broader socioenvironmental conditions to achieve long-term reductions in youth drinking and associated problems. Two large-scale randomized community trials in progress (Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol [CMCA] and Project Northland: Partnerships for Youth Health) are testing key components of the model of youth drinking. We conclude that effective long-term alcohol prevention programs require strategies for community and societal change.