Review of Michigan's EUDL program

Abstract

Michigan’s Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program for Fiscal Years 2000 -2004 is reviewed through a process evaluation of funded activities, an examination of EUDL strategies and programs in 17 other states, and an assessment of the extent to which Michigan EUDL program can be evaluated with respect to changes in underage drinking behavior. The process evaluation Michigan’s EUDL program indicates that the focus of the program has been on SPOTLIGHT, Operation LOOKOUT, and Party Patrol, through grants which fund these overtime police enforcement activities in a large number of Michigan communities. Program activities, for the most part, were carried out as planned. The review of EUDL strategies and programs in other states shows a wide variety of approaches. However, most states stress the importance of fostering collaboration at both the state and local level, and having a support network in place at, with all of the various involved agencies working together toward a shared and clear vision of what is to be accomplished. The assessment of the extent of “evaluability” indicates that the current mix of EUDL activities in Michigan makes it difficult to identify behavioral changes in drinking because the grants are awarded to a large number of jurisdictions spread across the state for narrowly focused, short term activities. Furthermore, while the data collected on these activities are useful for process evaluations, information is lacking on the underage drinking population and other exposure measures. It is recommended that future EUDL efforts be planned and implemented in concert with appropriate evaluation designs so that impacts of the programs on the amount and frequency of underage drinking and perceptions about alcohol use can be measured in addition to changes in the levels of enforcement activity.