Alcohol is the most misused substance in Maine by youth and adults. It is connected with short-term and long-term health risks, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and other cancers.
It is important to know how many "drinks" are in your glass. One 12 oz beer that is 5% alcohol, is one "drink". One 1.5 oz shot of liquor is equal to one drink. One mixed drink is equal to one drink for each 1.5 oz of alcohol in it.
Youth and Young Adult Alcohol Use Prevention
Drinking before the age of 21 can disrupt brain development, hormonal balance, and impact school performance, social lives, and safety.
Reduce youth access to alcohol:
- Keep alcohol in the home locked away when not in use by adults.
- Support liquor license holders with tools to know their rights and responsibilities, like the importance of checking ID (YouTube) during alcohol sales.
- Use resources like Parents Who Host Lose the Most or Not in My House to learn about the importance of not providing alcohol to youth.
- Engage youth in Sticker Shock programs that provide stickers and bottle/door hangers for alcohol in retails spaces - with messaging that promotes responsible alcohol use and raises awareness of penalties for buying alcohol for minors.
Support School Policies
- Promote restorative practices like Student Intervention Reintegration Program (SIRP) for youth ages 13-18 who violated a substance use policy.
- Offer resources to educators such as the School Health Resources and Lessons Repository.
- Collaborate with youth groups like the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) who address substance use, mental health, and community action programming.
Alcohol Misuse Prevention For Adults
- The Sipping Point Campaign helps people make intentional choices about how much they want alcohol in their lives, while understanding the health risks. It includes resources to assess how much you drink, help with stress relief, make mocktails, and other fun ways to make some nights alcohol-free.
The Party Smarter Campaign has tips to help create a plan to reduce the short-term risks of alcohol use and binge drinking. Three key points to keep a night safer are:
- PLAN: Where are you going? Who with? How are you getting home?
- PREPARE: Eat, drink water, and make sure you take just enough money for a safe evening. Leave the credit cards at home!
- PACE: Limit how much you drink in a night and learn about standard servings of alcohol to correctly count how many "drinks" you have.
- Workplace: Trainings and toolkits are available for employers about the influence a workplace culture can have on substance use for adults and minors, like the Healthy US Scorecard and SAMHSA's Drug-Free Workplace Toolkit. Find more on what the Maine CDC offers for Workplace Wellness [LINK 3.4.3.5].
- Pregnancy: Any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can pose lifelong health risks to fetuses. Learn more or get supports at FASD Maine or from The Proof Alliance.
For More Information
- 211 Maine -- Call, Text, or visit 211 online for the largest database available that connecting people to services and public health information. All outreach is free and confidential.
- Alcohol Screening -This online quiz is a tool for reviewing your drinking habits and how they may affect your health and the health of your loved ones.
- Maine Liquor Law -- Use this page to review Title 28-A, Maine's liquor laws and restrictions around public consumption, underaged drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and more.
- Maine Prevention Network -- Find local Prevention Specialists in your public health district who can provide resources and information, trainings, programs, and more!
- CACDA - CADCA's acronym changed! Community-Based, Advocacy-Focused, Data-Driven, Coalition-Building Association (CADCA) is a support system for substance use prevention coalitions, offering resources, strategies, and success stories to reach every age group and culture.
- NOFAS -- The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (NOFAS) is provides discussion tools and resources for families who need help or would like more information.
- Party Smarter Campaign Toolkit -- This Dropbox is available with the official images and social media copy from the Party Smarter campaign so these important messages can be shared on your pages.
- Rethinking Drinking - Offers valuable, research-based information for anyone who drinks. Offers clarity on what counts as a drink, the lasting effects of alcohol in the system, and more.
- Maine Prevention Store - This site contains free print materials and digital downloads designed to improve health and help to prevent tobacco use, substance use, and suicide in Maine.
Contact:
- The Maine CDC Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention and Control
- Phone: (207) 287-4627
- E-mail: tsup.dhhs@maine.gov
- TTY: Maine relay 711