Youth Advocate Program

This program involves students from various Washington, DC high schools.  Currently, we have over 60 Youth Advocates ranging in age from 13 - 19, who are working to educate their peers, communities, and city officials about the dangers of underage drinking.  They meet on a weekly basis to acquire the necessary tools to become good advocates.  They are the driving force behind NCCPUD!

                      

There are many benefits in being a Youth Advocate at NCCPUD:

  1. Advocates learn how public policy is developed.
  2. Advocates learn how to be a focal point for change in their communities.
  3. Advocates learn how to testify before public officials and acquire public speaking skills.
  4. Advocates learn how to network with organizations.
  5. Advocates acquire community service hours that count toward their graduation credits.

Not only that, Advocates definitely learn how to give back to their community.

Compliance Operations and Training

Through a grant made possible by the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), NCCPUD, in conjunction with the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA)http://www.abra.dc.gov/abra/site/  and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)http://mpdc.dc.gov/main.shtm , conduct merchant trainings and compliance operations.

Merchants, or Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) licensed establishments, attend a five day training session, free of charge.  This training session encompasses the latest techniques and methods that merchants should use in detecting underage individuals and fake identifications used by underage individuals.

NCCPUD Youth Advocates are trained to conduct compliance operations, where they are underage buyers of alcohol who attempt to purchase alcohol from these same ABC licensed establishments.  The actual compliance operations are conducted with MPD throughout the different district police stations.

If a merchant is caught selling alcohol to a minor during these compliance checks, the establishment will receive a citation and will be required to report to ABRA, to attend a hearing.  Based upon the findings, establishments will be fined and/or may lose the license.

Here are some recent results of compliance operations done in 2003:

Month

Checks

Sales

Percentage

July

117

44

38%

August

171

42

25%

The National Capital Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking

1616 P Street, NW, Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036 * 202-265-8922 * Fax: 202-265-8056 * info@nccpud.com