What Is an Environmental Scan for Alcohol?

Environmental scanning for alcohol or drug use is a methodology for analyzing and assessing the cultural or geographic causes of such a problem. In order to fully understand what is creating a problem in a community, a wider swath of information may need to be looked at. Environment scans for alcohol or drug use hope to better clarify the root of such a problem.

Goals

• Typically, an environmental scan for alcohol or drug use will occur if a problem exists within a population. Environmental scans use an in-depth method to evaluate and analyze the prevalence of that use within a given geographic area, such as a town. These environmental scans go beyond looking at data for the number of DUI arrests or alcohol use among a given population of people; they aim to assess what environmental factors are present that may be contributing to that alcohol or drug use. This information may better assist a town to solve an alcohol or drug use problem.

Method

• An environmental scan for alcohol tends to look at surrounding cultural or geographic characteristics that may be adding to the problem. The scan would include going into a specific area and analyzing how many bars or liquor outlets are currently operating, and what is the latest time they are open for business. How available is alcohol and how easy is it to purchase? An environmental scan for alcohol would consist of noting the prevalence of signs that promote alcohol use, such as commercial signs; or the prevalence (or lack thereof) of signs against alcohol use. Also, environmental scans would note other places alcohol is consumed, such as parks or festivals.

Example

• A good example of an environmental scan took place in Reading, Mass. in 2008. Rampant alcohol and drug use had been taking place in the local parks and conservation lands, and the police force was inefficient at stopping the problem. A local group of youth coalition leaders went to the areas where the drug and alcohol use had been reported and undertook an environmental scan. The group noted the signage in the area, the level of lighting and the drug and alcohol paraphernalia littered in the area. The group then made recommendations to the city based upon its findings.

Involvement

• Many different groups can take part in conducting an environmental scan for alcohol. Parents, teachers and local law enforcement can become involved. However, Dr. Eduardo Hernández-Alarcón, Deputy Director for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute, notes the importance of incorporating adolescents into the process: "Youth can help you track data, ask questions, take pictures, make creative displays of results, etc. You are probably missing the boat if you don't involve youth in your environmental scan." It may not be beneficial to incorporate people who are biased against the people or area in which the scan is taking place. As Hernández-Alarcón notes, "Make sure you get people from the neighborhood(s) you are scanning."