Underage Drinking: Information on Federal Funds Targeted at
Prevention (08-MAY-01, GAO-01-503).
Many studies have found significant alcohol consumption among
youth, even though the purchase and public possession of alcohol
by persons under the age of 21 are illegal in every state and the
District of Columbia. This report discusses (1) the amount of
federal funds earmarked for preventing underage drinking in
fiscal year 2000 and (2) funded programs in fiscal year 2000 that
included efforts to publicize in the media the problem of
underage drinking. An estimated $71 million of fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funds specifically targeted the prevention
of underage drinking. In addition, many federal agencies had
program activities that addressed prevention of underage drinking
but for which agency officials could not isolate funding specific
to alcohol.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-01-503
ACCNO: A00983
TITLE: Underage Drinking: Information on Federal Funds Targeted
at Prevention
DATE: 05/08/2001
SUBJECT: Alcohol abuse
Appropriated funds
Youth
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GAO-01-503
Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and
Human Resources, House Committee on Government Reform, and to Representative
John L. Mica
United States General Accounting Office
GAO
May 2001 UNDERAGE DRINKING
Information on Federal Funds Targeted at Prevention
GAO- 01- 503
Page i GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Letter 1
Scope and Methodology 1 Results in Brief 3 Agency Comments and Our
Evaluation 5
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking 7
Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Funding to Address
Prevention of Underage Drinking 24
Appendix III: Federal Agencies? Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities Related
to Underage Drinking That Included a Media Component 28
Tables
Table 1: Summary of Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funds That
Specifically Addressed Prevention of Underage Drinking, by Federal Agency 3
Table 2: SAMHSA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
That Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
9 Table 3: CDC?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
That Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
10 Table 4: NIAAA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
That Addressed Prevention of Underage Drinking, by Program Activity 11 Table
5: OJJDP?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
That Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
13 Table 6: NHTSA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
That Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
14 Table 7: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding Identified
by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education as Addressing Prevention
of Youth Drug and Alcohol Use, by Program Activity 15 Contents
Page ii GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Table 8. ONDCP?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity 18
Table 9: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Agencies Identified as Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking 25 Table
10: Estimated Portion of Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated
Federal Funding for Block, Formula, or Incentive Grants That Addressed Youth
Drug and Alcohol Use 27 Table 11: Agency Program Activities That
Specifically Addressed
Alcohol Use by Youth and Included a Media Component 28 Table 12: Program
Activities That Included Alcohol- Related Media
Components Targeted to Youth 29
Figures
Figure 1: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That Addressed
Prevention of Underage Drinking Specifically or Addressed Underage Drinking
in Part 4
Page 1 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
May 8, 2001 The Honorable Mark E. Souder Chairman, Subcommittee on Criminal
Justice,
Drug Policy, and Human Resources Committee on Government Reform House of
Representatives
The Honorable John L. Mica House of Representatives
Multiple surveys indicate substantial alcohol consumption among youth, even
though the purchase and public possession of alcohol by persons under the
age of 21 are illegal in every state and the District of Columbia. 1 Many
federal programs address prevention of alcohol use among underage youth.
This letter responds to a request that we identify the nature and extent of
federal efforts related to the prevention of underage drinking, to assist
Congress in its deliberations on whether additional attention to alcohol use
by youth is needed. 2 Specifically, our objectives were to identify (1) the
amount of appropriated fiscal year 2000 federal funds that addressed
prevention of underage drinking, and (2) fiscal year 2000 funded program
activities that included media components to publicize the problem of
underage drinking.
To identify fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding that addressed
prevention of underage drinking, we first identified agencies that had
program activities that addressed prevention of alcohol use and then asked
agency officials to provide information on their program activities
affecting youth under the age of 21. We used the Office of National Drug
Control Policy?s (ONDCP) fiscal year 2001 budget summary that included
fiscal year 2000 funding information to identify federal agencies with
1 For information regarding the states? adoption of a 21- year minimum age
for the purchase and public possession of alcohol, see the ?Enforcing the
Underage Drinking Laws Discretionary Grants Program,? issued by the Justice
Department, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, at www.
ojjdp. ncjrs. org/ grants/ UNDERAGE. html.
2 We defined prevention to include initiatives such as those associated with
information, education, research, screening, and brief intervention or
treatment.
United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548
Scope and Methodology
Page 2 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
program activities related to prevention of underage drinking. We used the
ONDCP budget report because it listed agencies with activities that
supported one of ONDCP?s strategic goals- to educate and enable America?s
youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco. To
identify additional federal agencies that might have program activities that
addressed prevention of underage drinking, we solicited suggestions from
officials of federal agencies identified as having alcohol prevention
programs about other federal agencies that would have such program
activities. We identified 23 federal agencies as having program activities
that to some degree addressed prevention of underage drinking. Appendix I
provides more information on these federal agencies.
We asked the agencies we identified to provide information on activities
funded in fiscal year 2000 that addressed prevention of underage drinking
either specifically or in part. We asked for information on, among other
things, the nature of their programs, the type of funding (e. g.,
discretionary, block, formula, and incentive grants; contracts; cooperative
and interagency agreements; and agency program funds), and the amount of the
fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding for each program. We
categorized federal program activities that addressed prevention of underage
drinking by drug focus and audience. With respect to drug focus, the
categories included (1) activities that targeted alcohol use or (2)
activities that targeted both alcohol and other drug use. With respect to
audience, the activities were categorized by those that (1) targeted youth
or (2) targeted both youth and the broader community. 3
With respect to media components, we asked federal agency officials with
programs that addressed prevention of underage drinking to identify those
program activities funded in fiscal year 2000 that had a media component to
publicize the problem of underage drinking. We defined media component as
radio and television broadcasts. We also asked officials to provide a
description of the media component.
We relied on information and records provided by agency officials and did
not independently verify the information. We performed our audit work in
Washington, D. C., from November 2000 through April 2001 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.
3 The broader community includes parents, college students over age 21,
teachers, and health care professionals.
Page 3 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
An estimated $71 million of fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funds were
specifically addressed to the prevention of underage drinking (i. e.,
alcohol use by youth). Five federal agencies-( 1) the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), (2) the National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), (3) the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), (4) the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), and (5) the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-
identified about $52 million in fiscal year 2000 appropriated funding that
specifically addressed prevention of underage drinking to youth.
Additionally, three of these agencies identified about $19 million that
addressed prevention of underage drinking but targeted both youth and the
broader community. Table 1 summarizes the appropriated fiscal year 2000
federal funding that specifically addressed prevention of underage drinking.
Table 1: Summary of Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funds That
Specifically Addressed Prevention of Underage Drinking, by Federal Agency
Appropriated federal funds (in millions) Agency Targeted to youth
Targeted to youth and the broader community Total
SAMHSA $2.1 $1.6 $3.7
NIAAA 19.2 17.0 36.2
OJJDP 27.8 0 27.8
NHTSA 2. 9 .3 3.2
CDC .2 0 .2 Total $52.2 $18.9 $71.1
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
In addition, many federal agencies had program activities that addressed
prevention of underage drinking but for which agency officials could not
isolate funding specific to alcohol. SAMHSA, OJJDP, CDC, and another 15
federal agencies identified about $1 billion of fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funding that addressed prevention of alcohol use but
also targeted other drug use. These activities addressed prevention of
alcohol and other drug use that targeted either youth or both youth and the
broader community. However, officials could not tell us what portion of this
appropriated federal funding was targeted specifically to alcohol prevention
activities. Furthermore, three federal agencies- Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education, SAMHSA, and NHTSA- identified an estimated $769 million
out of $2.2 billion of block, formula, and incentive grant funds that may
have been used by states to address prevention of drug and alcohol use by
youth. Results in Brief
Page 4 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Figure 1 shows the amount of fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding
that specifically addressed prevention of underage drinking versus funding
that, in part, may have addressed prevention of underage drinking.
Figure 1: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That Addressed
Prevention of Underage Drinking Specifically or Addressed Underage Drinking
in Part
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Appendix II provides information on federal agencies? fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funding that addressed prevention of underage drinking.
Three federal agencies- NIAAA, NHTSA, and SAMHSA- identified seven program
activities that included a media component targeting either alcohol use by
youth or alcohol use where the audience was both youth and the broader
community. The fiscal year 2000 appropriated funding for these seven program
activities was approximately $1.5 million. In addition, agencies provided
general information regarding the extent to which media components were
included in block, formula, or incentive grants and in ONDCP?s National
Youth Anti- Drug Media Campaign. Appendix III provides more information on
federal agency fiscal year 2000 program activities that included a media
component.
Estimated funding from block, formula, and incentive grants that addressed
prevention of drug and alcohol use ($ 769 million)
Funding that addressed prevention of alcohol use but also targeted other
drug use ($ 1 billion)
*
Specific funding for prevention of underage drinking ($ 71 million)
Page 5 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
On March 23, 2001, we provided a draft report for comment to the GAO
liaisons for the 23 agencies included in this report. Based on reviews
within these agencies by relevant officials, the GAO liaisons provided
technical and editorial comments, or indicated no comment, by E- mail or
letter. Technical and editorial comments have been incorporated, where
appropriate. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressed
concern about the consistency of some information provided on the part of
one HHS agency, SAMHSA, that had provided information that focused on
alcohol use by youth and had not included activities related to addressing
?alcohol and drug use? by youth or by youth and the broader community (i.
e., that addressed underage drinking in part). SAMHSA provided additional
information that has been included in this report. Through the agency
comment process, we provided all agencies an opportunity to correct
inconsistencies.
In addition, HHS noted that in some instances GAO performed analysis of
agency data and in other instances agency data were reported without
analysis. GAO analyzed data for agencies that were able to provide specific
information on activities related to prevention of underage drinking.
However, many agencies were unable to identify specific funding activities
related to prevention of underage drinking. For these agencies, we reported
the funding level identified with the general program activity.
As arranged with the Subcommittee, we plan no further distribution of this
report until 30 days after the date of this letter. We will then send copies
to Representative Elijah Cummings, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on
Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources, House Government Reform,
and Representative Dan Burton, Chairman, and Representative Henry Waxman,
Ranking Minority Member, House Committee on Government Reform. We will also
send copies to Senator Fred Thompson, Chairman, and Senator Joseph
Lieberman, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. We will
also make copies available to others on request. This report will also be
available on GAO?s home page at http:// www. gao. gov. Agency Comments
and Our Evaluation
Page 6 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Please call me on (202) 512- 8777 if you or your staff have any questions
regarding this report. The information presented in this report was
developed by Linda Watson, Assistant Director; Jared Hermalin, Senior
Analyst; and Lou Smith, Analyst.
Richard M. Stana Director, Justice Issues
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 7 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
This appendix provides information on the 23 agencies identified as having
program activities addressing prevention of underage drinking. 1 Included
are agency descriptions, the targeted drug and audience for the program
activity, and information on agencies? total appropriated fiscal year 2000
federal funding related to prevention of underage drinking, which includes
both funding that was specific to prevention of underage drinking and
funding that, in part, may have addressed prevention of underage drinking.
The agency description includes mission information for agencies that had a
more significant role in addressing prevention of underage drinking. For
agencies that had program activities that addressed underage drinking but
for whom conducting such activities was not a primary role, we have
described the program activities related to the issue of prevention of
underage drinking. Focusing on the targeted drug and audience allowed us to
differentiate among agencies and program activities that specifically
addressed prevention of underage drinking versus those that addressed, in
part, prevention of underage drinking (i. e. addressed alcohol and other
drug use) and whether the targeted audience was specific to underage youth
(i. e., youth under the age of 21) or encompassed a broader community to
include parents, college students over age 21, teachers, and health care
professionals. The fiscal year 2000 funding provides an explanation of each
agency?s funding in relation to its program activities related to prevention
of underage drinking.
Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) manages
state grants and childcare programs, including programs to increase child
abuse prevention and treatment activities. It also seeks to develop family
preservation and family support services, the Head Start Program, programs
that provide services for runaway and homeless youth and their families,
child welfare training programs, and child abuse and neglect and research
and demonstration programs. At least 10 percent of the funds ACF awards to
grantees as part of its Runaway and Homeless
1 Prevention is defined as activities such as those associated with
information, education, research, and early intervention or treatment.
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal
Year 2000 Program Activities Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 8 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Youth Programs are used to support a variety of substance abuse prevention
activities, including efforts to prevent underage drinking. These activities
include literature, counseling, or a mixture of efforts.
Targeted drug and audience: The program activity targeted drug and alcohol
use. The target audience for the program was youth under the age of 21.
Fiscal Year 2000 funding: Commenting on its Runaway and Homeless Youth
program, an official of the Administration for Children and Families
estimated that approximately $15,000,000 in fiscal year 2000 appropriated
funding may have addressed, in part, prevention of underage drinking.
However, the official could not tell us what portion of appropriated federal
funding may have addressed alcohol prevention activities.
Description: SAMHSA?s goal is to strengthen the capacity of the nation?s
health care system to provide prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services
for people at risk of or experiencing substance abuse 2 or mental illnesses.
SAMHSA is composed of three centers: (1) the Center for Mental Health
Services promotes improved mental health; (2) the Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention promotes strategies to prevent substance abuse- whether illicit
drug use, misuse of legal medications, use of alcohol and tobacco by youth,
or excessive use of alcohol; and (3) the Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment promotes efforts to improve the lives of individuals and families
affected by alcohol and drug abuse by helping to ensure access to clinically
sound, cost- effective addiction treatment to reduce the nation?s health and
social costs. SAMHSA also conducts the National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse and other surveys on alcohol and other drug use and abuse by youth as
well as adults. The three centers administer grants, contracts, and
interagency agreements for their respective fields of specialty.
Targeted drug and audience: SAMHSA?s program activities included those that
targeted just alcohol use and others that targeted both drug and
2 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4
th ed. (DSM- IV), a diagnosis of substance abuse requires that an individual
exhibit a pattern of abuse that can be demonstrated by either of the
following: continued use despite a persistent social, occupational,
psychological, or physical problem that is caused or made worse by substance
use, or recurrent use in physically hazardous situations. Substance Abuse
and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 9 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
alcohol use. The targeted audience also varied, with some program activities
addressing youth and others addressing a broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in table 2, SAMHSA?s total funding
related to prevention of youth alcohol and drug use was $628,180, 834.
Table 2: SAMHSA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
Block grants $320,000,000 a Discretionary grants (514) $218,301,163
Contracts (42) $87,405,081 Interagency agreements (8) $2,474,590
Total $628,180,834
a This amount represents the 20 percent minimum designated by statute for
substance abuse prevention activities, including alcohol and drug abuse. (42
U. S. C. 300x- 22( a), (b) (1)). It includes not only youth services, but
those services for all age groups.
Source: GAO analysis of SAMHSA information.
Description: CDC is an operating division within the Public Health Service
and is charged with protecting the public health of the nation by providing
leadership and direction in the prevention and control of diseases and other
preventable conditions as well as by responding to public health
emergencies. CDC?s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control funded
several projects in fiscal year 2000 related to prevention of underage
drinking. CDC?s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion administers the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) that is to
provide data on health risk behaviors related to unintentional injuries and
violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, dietary
behaviors, and physical activity. However, an official told us that the
survey is conducted biennially and was not done during fiscal year 2000.
Targeted drug and audience: The National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control funded one activity that addressed alcohol and youth, two that
addressed alcohol and targeted both youth and the broader community, and one
activity that addressed drug and alcohol use and the targeted audience was
youth. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 10 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in
table 3, CDC officials identified
$660,697 in fiscal year 2000 appropriated funds as related to youth alcohol
and drug use.
Table 3: CDC?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That Addressed
Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
Contract (1) $20,000 Discretionary grants (3) $640,697
Total $660,697
Source: GAO analysis of CDC information.
Description: IHS is an operating division within the Public Health Service
and provides a comprehensive health services delivery system for American
Indians and Alaskan Natives, with opportunity for maximum tribal involvement
in developing and managing programs to meet their health needs. It assists
Native American tribes in developing their health programs and facilitates
and assists tribes in coordinating health planning; obtaining and utilizing
health resources available through federal, state, and local programs;
operating comprehensive health programs; and evaluating health programs. IHS
distributes funds to its 12 area offices, which further distribute funds to
tribal programs.
Targeted drug and audience: The IHS program activities addressed drug and
alcohol use. According to an IHS official, there are no programs
specifically funded for underage drinking prevention, but the issue of
adolescent alcohol abuse is addressed in the prevention and treatment
programs developed by the tribes. The targeted audience is youth for some
program activities and the broader community for others. These programs
include Youth Residential Treatment, Community Education and Training,
Community Rehabilitation and Aftercare, contract health services, Navajo
Rehabilitation Program, urban clinical service, and Wellness Beyond
Abstinence. According to IHS officials, each of the over 400 tribal programs
is designed to meet the needs of its service area. Each tribal program
incorporates local beliefs and practices into its alcohol prevention and
treatment programs for adolescents.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: An IHS official identified $41,945,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated federal funding that, in part, addressed prevention
of underage drinking. However, the official could not tell us what portion
Indian Health Service
(IHS)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 11 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
of appropriated federal funding may have addressed alcohol prevention
activities. According to IHS, reports show that some areas spend from 20 to
34 percent of their budgets on prevention and treatment initiatives for
adolescents.
Description: NIAAA, within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts
and supports biomedical and behavioral research in order to provide science-
based approaches to the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse and
alcoholism. It provides a national focus for the federal effort to increase
knowledge and disseminate research findings to the scientific community, the
health care system, and the public. NIAAA administers grants and contracts
to carry out its program activities.
Targeted drug and audience: NIAAA program activities targeted alcohol use
and abuse. Some program activities targeted only youth, and others targeted
both youth and the broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in table 4, NIAAA?s fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funding included $36,208,030 for program activities
related to prevention of underage drinking.
Table 4: NIAAA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Underage Drinking, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
Discretionary grants( 90) $35,478,030 Contracts (2) $730,000
Total $36,208,030
Source: GAO analysis of NIAAA information.
Description: NIDA, within NIH, has as its mission to lead the nation in
bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction through
the strategic support and conduct of research across a broad range of
disciplines and the effective dissemination and use of the results of that
research to improve drug abuse and addiction prevention, treatment, and
policy. One initiative within NIDA, the Monitoring the Future Study, is a
drug survey conducted annually. The survey has been administered to 12 th
graders since 1975 and to 8 th and 10th graders since 1991; a follow- up
sample of high school seniors is also included. The study serves several
purposes, including (1) an assessment of the prevalence and trends in drug
The National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 12 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
use and related attitudes and beliefs, and (2) a determination of the
lifestyles and value orientations associated with drug use. The study
encompasses the use of illicit drugs as well as alcohol, cigarettes,
smokeless tobacco, and steroids.
Targeted drug and audience: The Monitoring the Future Study survey included
questions about drugs and alcohol, among other things. The targeted audience
is school age children.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: According to a NIDA official, NIDA awarded a grant
for $4,634,257 in fiscal year 2000 for the Monitoring the Future Study. The
study addressed, in part, prevention of underage drinking.
Description: OJJDP, within the Office of Justice Programs, provides national
leadership, coordination, and resources to develop, implement, and support
effective methods to prevent and control juvenile delinquency and improve
the juvenile justice system. This includes activities to enforce underage
drinking laws, educate the public about the problem, and involve the justice
system in responding appropriately and effectively to underage drinking.
These activities are accomplished through retail compliance initiatives,
prevention programs, and fostering a juvenile justice system that, among
other things, provides appropriate sanctions, treatment, and rehabilitative
services based on the needs of the individual juvenile.
OJJDP administers the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Program,
which provides funds to states to support and enhance efforts to prohibit
the sale of alcoholic beverages to- or the consumption of alcoholic
beverages by- minors (persons under age 21) . Congress appropriated $25,000,
000 for the program in fiscal year 2000. The funds are disbursed through
block and discretionary grants. The block grant provided $360,000 to each
state and the District of Columbia. In addition, $6,640,000 was made
available for discretionary grants to support local program activity within
states and territories, training and technical assistance to the states, and
evaluation of the overall program. EUDL grants to states are awarded to an
appropriate state agency designated by each state?s governor.
Targeted drug and audience: The EUDL program is designed to reduce the
availability of alcoholic beverages to minors and prevent the Department of
Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 13 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. Related OJJDP program
activities include grants that target drug use by youth, including alcohol.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in table 5, OJJDP?s fiscal year 2000
total appropriated federal funding related to prevention of youth alcohol
and drug use was $44,023,796.
Table 5: OJJDP?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
Block grants (EUDL) $18,360,000 EUDL discretionary grants (14) Tribal Youth
discretionary grants (34) Other discretionary grants
$6,640,000 $7,702,019 $11,321,777
Total $44,023,796
Source: GAO analysis of OJJDP information.
Description: The mission of COPS is to improve public safety in
neighborhoods and communities through partnerships with communities,
policing agencies, and other public and private organizations. As part of
its mission, the COPS program provides funds for school safety and community
crime prevention initiatives. These initiatives include assigning officers
to schools to perform a variety of functions, which may encompass activities
such as teaching crime prevention and substance abuse classes.
Targeted drug and audience: The COPS initiatives, in part, targeted drug and
alcohol use (i. e., substance abuse). The targeted audience included youth
and the broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A COPS budget official identified $180, 000,000 in
fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding for activities that supported
law enforcement officers who were directly assigned to schools. Funding, in
part, may have addressed prevention of underage drinking, but the official
could not tell us what portion of appropriated federal funding may have
addressed alcohol prevention activities. Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 14 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Description: NHTSA funded programs
that addressed the problems of
drunk and drugged driving and prevention programs targeting zero tolerance
for alcohol and drug use among youth. NHTSA administers a formula and
incentive grant program, awards discretionary grants and contracts, and
enters into cooperative agreements with other entities.
NHTSA reports that, under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 (23 U. S. C. 402),
it provides ?section 402? formula grant funds to states, territories, and
Indian nations to conduct highway safety programs, which may include
underage drinking programs. In addition, NHTSA reports that, under 23 U. S.
C. 410, it awards ?section 410? incentive grants to states for the
implementation and enforcement of state programs to reduce traffic safety
problems resulting from alcohol- impaired driving, such as underage drinking
programs.
Targeted drug and audience: These NHTSA program activities targeted drug and
alcohol use. Some program activities targeted youth; others targeted both
youth and the broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in table 6, NHTSA?s total fiscal year
2000 appropriated federal funding related to prevention of youth alcohol and
drug use was $23,903,000. The fiscal year 2000 funding for the formula and
incentive grants represents estimated portions that addressed prevention of
underage drinking.
Table 6: NHTSA?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
Formula grants (section 402 ) $15,600,000 Incentive grants (section 410 )
$5,100,000 Discretionary grants (7 ) $550,000 Contracts (6 ) $2,573,000
Cooperative agreements (2 ) $80,000
Total $23,903,000
Source: GAO analysis of NHTSA information.
Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 15 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Description: The Safe and Drug- Free
Schools Program, within the Office
of Elementary and Secondary Education, is the federal government?s primary
vehicle for reducing drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and violence, through
education and prevention activities in the nation?s schools. This program
consists of two major programs: (1) State Grants for Drug and Violence
Prevention Programs and (2) National Programs. State Grants is a formula
grant program that provides funds to state and local education agencies, as
well as governors, for a wide range of school- and communitybased education
and prevention activities. The National Program carries out a variety of
discretionary initiatives that respond to emerging needs. Among these
initiatives are direct grants to school districts and communities with
severe drug and violence problems, program evaluation, and information
development and dissemination.
Targeted drug and audience: The Safe and Drug- Free Schools Program targets
drug and alcohol use, among other things. The target audience is school- age
children, but program activities can also include the broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in table 7, the Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education?s total fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding
related to prevention of youth drug and alcohol use was $589,350,000.
Table 7: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding Identified by the
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education as Addressing Prevention of
Youth Drug and Alcohol Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
State Grants $428,600,000 National Programs $160,750,000
Total $589,350,000
Source: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Department of Education
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 16 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Description: ETA administers the Job
Corps Program, which is a national
residential training and employment program whose purpose is to assist
eligible young people to become more responsible, employable, and productive
citizens. Enrollees must be at least 16 but not yet 25 years of age. As part
of the Job Corps Program, trainees are to be screened for drug and alcohol
problems and to be provided prevention and intervention services.
Targeted drug and audience: The program activity targeted drugs and alcohol
use. The target audience includes both youth and adults.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: An ETA official identified $8,272,023 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated federal funding that, in part, may have addressed
prevention of alcohol use. However, the official could not tell us what
portion of appropriated federal funding may have addressed alcohol
prevention activities for youth.
Description: BLS identified three surveys in its National Longitudinal
Surveys (NLS) program that provide information on underage drinking. The
1979 NLS of Youth includes a nationally representative sample of nearly
10,000 people who were born in the years 1957 to 1964 and lived in the
United States when the sample was selected in 1978. The respondents were 14
to 22 years of age when they were first interviewed in 1979. Individuals
were interviewed every year from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994. In
1986, BLS began a new survey of the children born to female respondents of
the 1979 NLS. This survey is called the Children of the NLS Youth of 1979
and is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD). In 1997, BLS began another NLS with a nationally
representative sample of nearly 9,000 youths who were born in the years 1980
to 1984. These youths were ages 12 to 16 as of December 31, 1996. All three
surveys collect information about youth alcohol and drug use, among other
things, that could be used by policy makers to help monitor trends and to
devise drug and alcohol prevention strategies.
Targeted drug and audience: The NLS program targets drugs and alcohol. The
targeted audience includes both youth and adults.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A BLS official identified $10,200,000 of
appropriated fiscal year 2000 federal funding for the NLS Youth of 1979
Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 17 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
and NLS Youth of 1997 surveys. In addition, the official identified
$3,000,000 in appropriated fiscal year 2000 federal funding for the Children
of the NLS Youth of 1979. Thus, a total of $13,200, 000 of fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funding addressed, in part, prevention of underage
drinking.
Description: ONDCP is to set goals and objectives for national drug control
that include reducing the number of illegal drug users, preventing use of
illegal drugs, and reducing the availability of illegal drugs. In this
capacity, ONDCP carries out numerous responsibilities, one of which is
oversight of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program,
whose mission is to reduce drug trafficking activities in the most critical
drug trafficking areas. Several HIDTAs integrate drug education and early
intervention programs with law enforcement efforts to reduce youthful
involvement with illegal drugs and strengthen families and communities.
ONDCP also awards funds under the Drug- Free Communities Support Program and
provides general oversight of drug abuse prevention programs. The Drug- Free
Communities Support Program supports community anti- drug coalitions
throughout the United States in developing and implementing comprehensive
long- term plans to prevent and treat drug abuse among youth. In addition,
ONDCP was required by Congress in 1998 to undertake a National Youth Anti-
Drug Media Campaign to reduce and prevent drug use among youth. 3 The
campaign supports the first goal of the 2000 National Drug Control Strategy,
which is to educate and enable America?s youth to reject illegal drugs as
well as alcohol and tobacco.
Targeted drug and audience: ONDCP program activities targeted drug and
alcohol use. Its targeted audience included both youth and the broader
community.
3 21 U. S. C. 1801( a) (Supp. IV 1998). Executive Office of
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 18 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Fiscal year 2000 funding: As shown in
table 8, ONDCP officials
identified $219,944,000 in fiscal year 2000 appropriated funds as related to
youth alcohol and drug use prevention.
Table 8. ONDCP?s Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That
Addressed Prevention of Youth Alcohol and Drug Use, by Program Activity
Program activity Federal funds appropriated in fiscal year 2000
National Youth Anti- Drug Media Campaign $184,297,000 Drug- Free Communities
Program $30,000,000 HITDA $3,124,000 Other prevention activities $2,523,000
Total $219,944,000
Source: GAO analysis of ONDCP information.
DOD?s Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)
identified several military branches as having programs that may have
addressed, in part, prevention of underage drinking. In addition to these
programs, DOD also administers a worldwide survey of health behaviors among
military personnel. The survey, which began in 1980, asks active duty
service members about various health behaviors, including the use of illegal
drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and at- risk sexual behavior. The survey was last
administered in 1998 and is to be administered in 2001.
Description: The Young Marines Program focuses on illicit substance abuse
prevention with children 8 to 17 years of age.
Targeted drug and audience: According to a DOD official, all of the youth
outreach programs funded with DOD counterdrug funds were allencompassing. As
such, they may have included an anti- alcohol message but did not
specifically target underage drinking. The programs addressed school- age
children.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A DOD official identified $2,000,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated funding from its counterdrug program activities for
the Young Marines program that, in part, may have addressed prevention of
underage drinking. However, the official could not tell us what portion of
the funding may have addressed prevention of alcohol use. Department of
Defense (DOD) U. S. Marine Corps
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 19 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Description: The National Guard does
not disperse its funding directly to
its various programs, but rather sends its funding to its state counterdrug
coordinator. The states then distribute funding to the programs based upon
the governor?s and adjutant general?s priorities. The National Guard program
activities included Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), 4 Drug Education
for Youth (DEFY), Adopt a School, and Lunch Buddy.
Targeted drug and audience: According to DOD, all of the youth outreach
programs funded with DOD counterdrug funds are allencompassing. As such,
they may include an anti- alcohol message but do not specifically target
underage drinking. The programs addressed schoolage children under 18 years
of age.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A DOD official identified $25,500,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated federal funding from counterdrug activities that was
used to fund the National Guard programs. These programs may have, in part,
addressed prevention of underage drinking, but the official could not tell
us what portion of appropriated federal funding may have addressed alcohol
prevention activities.
Description: The U. S. Army Center for Substance Abuse Programs (ACSAP) is
the Army?s lead agency for substance abuse prevention, education, and
training. ACSAP provides operational supervision, direction, evaluation,
oversight, and policy development for all elements of the Army Drug and
Alcohol Prevention and Control Program. This program serves more than 2
million Army personnel and their families assigned to over 150 installations
and Reserve commands worldwide on needs as they pertain to alcohol and other
drug prevention.
Targeted drug and audience: The program targeted both drug and alcohol use.
The targeted audience included both youth and the broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: According to a DOD official, the Army did not have
a discrete budgeted program that addressed prevention of alcohol use by
youth. Funding is for the Army Center for Substance Abuse
4 DARE is a school- based program that uses trained, uniformed police
officers in the classroom to increase students? knowledge about substance
abuse and enhance their social skills. Various law enforcement agencies
participate in the program, such as the National Guard, the National Park
Service, and the U. S. Forest Service. National Guard
United States Army
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 20 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Programs, which is inclusive of all drugs and is targeted to a broad
audience.
Description: The Navy has a program that provides a means for command- or
self- referral, without risk of disciplinary action or career implications,
to service members who admit to having purchased, possessed, or consumed
alcohol in violation of the minimum age requirements of the military
installation, state, country, or local jurisdiction in which the member is
located. The program also provides for alcohol counseling and/ or treatment.
Targeted drug and audience: The Navy program targeted alcohol use by service
members under the minimum drinking age.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: According to a DOD official, the Navy did not have
a discrete budgeted program that addressed prevention of alcohol use by
youth. Funding for this program is included in the Navy?s larger and broader
prevention efforts.
Description: CNCS is a federal corporation governed by a 15- member
bipartisan Board of Directors appointed by the President with the advice and
consent of the Senate. The Corporation has three major service activities:
AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps.
CNCS awards grants to state commissions, which in turn award sub- grants to
local organizations. A small number of these organizations receive grants
for activities specifically involving drug prevention (i. e., to include
alcohol and other drugs). Other organizations run youth programs, such as
after- school programs, which by keeping youth off the streets are
considered to have an impact on the drug and alcohol prevention effort.
Targeted drug and audience: The program activities targeted drug and alcohol
use, among other things. The targeted audience included both youth and the
broader community.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A CNCS official identified $9,000,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated federal funding that was awarded to organizations and
that, in part, may have addressed prevention of alcohol use. United States
Navy
Federal Corporation Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 21 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
According to the official, this funding level represents spending defined by
CNCS as having an indirect impact on the overall drug prevention effort and
it is impossible to separate out what portion of the funding may have
specifically addressed alcohol prevention activities for youth.
Description: ATF provides funding to state and local governments, through
cooperative agreements, for the Gang Resistance Education and Training
(GREAT) program. GREAT is a police- delivered program oriented toward
bringing an anti- violence, anti- drug message to the nation?s youth.
Targeted drug and audience: The GREAT program addressed drugs and alcohol
use, among other things. The targeted audience is youth.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: An ATF official identified $16,000,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated federal funding for GREAT.
Description: The Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (OASAP)
was established in the Office of the Secretary of Indian Affairs in April
2000 to monitor and evaluate the BIA programs that have alcohol and
substance abuse prevention- related activities. The Director of OASAP
reported that BIA has several programs that may have addressed prevention of
underage drinking. These include the OASAP activities focused on the
American Indian and Alaskan Native youth populations; the Office of the
Indian Education Program, which funds BIA- operated schools; and grant and
contract Tribal schools, which provide students with education about drug
and alcohol use. BIA also provides a juvenile delinquency prevention program
in the Office of Law Enforcement and a child protection program and youth
emergency shelters program in the Social Services Program. Department of the
Treasury Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 22 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Targeted drug and audience: BIA
activities targeted drug and alcohol
use. The targeted audience is school- age children.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: As of February 2001, OASAP had not completed its
evaluation of BIA programs. According to an agency official, reporting on
the exact amount of appropriated funding for each of these programs, or the
extent to which funding may have addressed prevention of underage drinking,
is difficult. OASAP identified about $1,800,000 in fiscal year 2000
appropriated federal funding that may have addressed, in part, prevention of
underage drinking (i. e., addressed alcohol and drug use education for its
youth population). Of this amount, the agency official estimated that
$1,600,000 was spent in BIA- funded schools on prevention of alcohol and
drug use education activities in the classrooms.
Description: The National Park Service has programs to help increase public
education and awareness of the consequences of illicit drug, alcohol, and
tobacco use by underage populations. For example, the National Park Service
participates in DARE, a law enforcement officer- led series of classroom
lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade to resist
peer pressure and live productive drug- and violencefree lives.
Targeted drug and audience: The National Park Service?s education programs
target drug and alcohol use, among other things, by school- age children.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: A National Park Service official identified
$343,000 in fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding that, in part, may
have addressed prevention of underage drinking. However, the official could
not tell us what portion of federal appropriated funding may have addressed
prevention of underage drinking. National Park Service
Appendix I: Federal Agencies That Had Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities
Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 23 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking Description: The U. S. Forest Service
participates in the DARE Program in
rural areas within and adjacent to National Forest System lands.
Targeted drug and audience: The DARE program may have addressed drug and
alcohol use. The targeted audience is youth.
Fiscal year 2000: A Forest Service official identified $125,000 in fiscal
year 2000 appropriated funding that, in part, may have addressed prevention
of underage drinking. However, the official could not tell us what portion
of appropriated federal funding may have addressed prevention of underage
drinking.
Description: HUD administers the Drug Elimination Grants for LowIncome
Housing. Program activities include, among other things, drug prevention,
intervention, and treatment.
Targeted drug and audience: HUD program activities may have, in part,
addressed prevention of underage drinking as part of drug prevention
initiatives. The targeted audience included youth and the broader
commuinity.
Fiscal year 2000 funding: According to a HUD official, this program and
others within HUD may have addressed prevention of underage drinking through
alcohol counseling or job counseling to youth. However, HUD records do not
reflect the extent to which this may have occurred. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Public and Indian Housing
Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Funding to Address
Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 24 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
This appendix provides information on funding appropriated in fiscal year
2000 that agencies identified as addressing the prevention of underage
drinking (i. e., by youth under the age of 21). 1 The fiscal year 2000
funding was categorized by drug focus and target audience. We categorized
drug focus to include two options: (1) alcohol use or (2) alcohol and other
drug use. With respect to target audience, we categorized the audience as
either (1) youth or (2) youth and the broader community. 2
Information on fiscal year 2000 funding for activities such as discretionary
grants, contracts, interagency agreements, and cooperative agreements is
presented in table 9; information on block, formula, and incentive grant
programs is presented in table 10. Because block, formula, and incentive
grant programs allow recipients substantial discretion in allocating funds
and require limited federal administrative reporting, agency officials
estimated the portion of these grants that addressed prevention of underage
drinking. Therefore, the information is presented separately to distinguish
between appropriated funding for particular program activities identified by
agencies and estimated block, formula, and incentive grants.
Table 9 provides information on (1) funding for activities that were
particular to addressing prevention of alcohol use and that targeted youth
(i. e., that addressed prevention of underage drinking specifically); (2)
funding for activities that were particular to addressing prevention of
alcohol use and that targeted both youth and the broader community (i. e.,
that also addressed prevention of underage drinking specifically); and (3)
funding for activities that addressed prevention of alcohol use and other
drug use (i. e., that addressed, in part, prevention of underage drinking)
and that targeted either youth or youth and the broader community.
1 We defined prevention as initiatives such as those associated with
information, education, research, and early intervention or treatment. 2 The
broader community includes parents, college students over age 21, teachers,
and health care professionals. Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000
Appropriated Funding to Address Prevention of Underage Drinking
Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Funding to Address
Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 25 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Table 9: Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding That Agencies
Identified as Addressing Prevention of Underage Drinking
Appropriated funding for activities that addressed prevention of underage
drinking by targeted drug and audience
Agency
Drug:
Alcohol
Audience:
Youth
Drug:
Alcohol
Audience: Youth and the broader community
Drug:
Alcohol and other drug use
Audience:
Youth or youth and the broader community Total Department of Health and
Human Services
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 0 0 $15,000,000 $15,000,000
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
$2,094,590 $1,601,624 $304,484,620 $308,180,834
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
$241,098 0 $419,599 $660,697
Indian Health Service (IHS) 0 0 $41,945,000 $41,945,000
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
$19,200,270 $17,007,760 0 36,208,030
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 0 0 $4,634,257 $4,634,257 Department
of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
$27,797,467 0 $16,226,329 $44,023,796
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) 0 0 $180,000,000 $180,000,000
Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
$2,931,000 $272,000 0 $3,203,000 Department of Education
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (National Programs)
0 0 $160,750,000 $160,750,000 Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) 0 0 $8,272,023 $8,272,023
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 0 0 $13,200,000 $13,200,000 Executive
Office of the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) 0 0 $219,944,000 $219,944,000
Department of Defense (DOD)
Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Funding to Address
Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 26 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Appropriated funding for activities that addressed prevention of underage
drinking by targeted drug and audience
Agency
Drug:
Alcohol
Audience:
Youth
Drug:
Alcohol
Audience: Youth and the broader community
Drug:
Alcohol and other drug use
Audience:
Youth or youth and the broader community Total
National Guard 0 0 $25,500,000 $25,500,000
U. S. Marine Corps 0 0 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 Federal Corporation
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
0 0 $9,000,000 $9,000,000 Department of the Treasury
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
0 0 $16,000,000 $16,000,000 Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 0 0 $1,800,000 $1,800,000
National Park Service 0 0 $343,000 $343,000 Department of Agriculture
U. S. Forest Service 0 0 $125,000 $125,000 Total $52,264,425 $18,881,384
$1,019,643,828 $1,090,789,637
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Table 10 provides information on agency block, formula, and incentive grants
that addressed, in part, prevention of underage drinking (i. e., that
addressed prevention of youth drug and alcohol use). The agencies provided
information on the total fiscal year 2000 appropriated federal funding for
these grants and estimated the portion that addressed prevention of youth
drug and alcohol use. As can be seen from the table, about one- third of the
total block, formula, and incentive grant funding is estimated to address,
in part, prevention of underage drinking.
Appendix II: Information on Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Funding to Address
Prevention of Underage Drinking
Page 27 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Table 10: Estimated Portion of Fiscal Year 2000 Appropriated Federal Funding
for Block, Formula, or Incentive Grants That Addressed Youth Drug and
Alcohol Use
Federal agency Block, formula, or incentive grant program Total fiscal year
2000
appropriated funding Estimated portion that
addressed, in part, prevention of underage
drinking Department of Education
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Safe and Drug- Free Schools
and Community Act- State Grants Program
$439,250,000 $428,600,000
Department of Health and Human Services
SAMHSA Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant $1,600,000,000
$320,000,000 a
Department of Transportation
State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program $152,800,000 $15,600,000
NHTSA Alcohol Impaired Driving Countermeasures Grant Program
$36,000,000 $5,100,000
Total $2,228,050,000 $769,300,000
a This amount represents the 20 percent minimum designated by statute for
substance abuse prevention activities, including alcohol and drug abuse. (42
U. S. C. 300x- 22( a), (b)( 1). It includes not only youth services, but
those services for all age groups
Source: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, SAMHSA, and NHTSA.
Appendix III: Federal Agencies? Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities Related
to Underage Drinking That Included a Media Component
Page 28 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
This appendix provides information on federal agency program activities that
included a media component to publicize the problem of underage drinking. We
defined media component as radio and television broadcasts. Agency officials
provided information on particular program activities that had a media
component and general information regarding the extent that media components
were included in formula or block grants and in the Office of National Drug
Control Policy?s (ONDCP) National Youth AntiDrug Media Campaign.
Three agencies identified particular program activities with a media
component. As shown in table 11, for these three agencies, agency officials
identified 7 program activities with a media component out of 122 program
activities funded through discretionary grants, contracts, or interagency
agreements.
Table 11: Agency Program Activities That Specifically Addressed Alcohol Use
by Youth and Included a Media Component Agency
Total number of program activities that addressed alcohol use
by youth or targeted both youth and the broader community
Activities with a media component that targeted alcohol use
by youth Activities with a media
component that targeted alcohol use by youth and for which
the audience was both youth and the broader
community Agency fiscal year
2000 appropriated funding for program activities that included
a media component
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
90 2 0 $1,054,876 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA)
15 0 3 $291,600 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
17 2 0 $123,000
Total 122 4 3 $1,469,476
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Tables 12 provides information on the media components for the program
activities for the three agencies listed in table 11, including a
description of the media aspects of the program activity and the fiscal year
2000 funding for the total program activity. Appendix III: Federal Agencies?
Fiscal Year
2000 Program Activities Related to Underage Drinking That Included a Media
Component
Appendix III: Federal Agencies? Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities Related
to Underage Drinking That Included a Media Component
Page 29 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
Table 12: Program Activities That Included Alcohol- Related Media Components
Targeted to Youth Program activity by agency Description of media component
Fiscal year 2000 funding
for the program activity NIAAA
Public Service Announcements This project proposes to develop and distribute
two 30- second television and two 30- second radio public service
announcements. The targeted audience for these will be 11- to 13- year-
olds. This activity has been funded by NIAAA and SAMHSA in the amounts of
$350,000 and $95,000, respectively.
$445,000 Media Intervention to Prevent Youth Alcohol Use This project
includes, among other things, a mass media campaign
that is to target young people to reduce their demand for alcohol through
positive images of nondrinking lifestyles. The campaign messages will begin
in the 4th and 5th grade at eight rural school districts in a particular
state and are to continue over a 4- year period. Parents of these young
people will also be targeted by a mass media campaign modeling supportive
parental behaviors.
$609,876
SAMHSA
Alcohol Tips for Teens The tips are a series of 11 brochures. SAMHSA plans
to issue a press release that is to be directed toward print and radio
media. The Director for the Centers for Substance Abuse Prevention also
plans to provide an editorial for the print media on the tips. The program
targets 12- to 17- year- olds, schools, counselors, and healthcare
professionals.
$40,600 Preventing Underage and Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems Among
Youth and College Students in El Paso and Brownsville, Texas
A subcontractor is scheduled, among other things, to conduct surveys at the
Mexican border and to provide technical support in media advocacy of the
survey findings, including a local seminar, two media advocacy seminars, and
two police workshops. The goals of this project are to increase media
recognition of the problem, decrease cross border high- risk activity, and
decrease violence associated with binge drinking and alcohol use. The
targeted audience is underage youth, especially college students.
$250,000 Addiction Technology Transfer Center This program activity is for a
national broadcast of a seminar entitled
?Combating Underage Drinking.? The seminar was advertised by flyers and on
SAMHSA?s Web site. The targeted audience is student service professionals,
faculty, and students in postsecondary institutions in a particular state.
$1,000
NHTSA
Black Entertainment Television Network (BET) BET conducted a series of
forums in selected locations that facilitated
teen discussions focusing on the dangers of impaired driving, underage
drinking, penalties for violators of zero tolerance laws, and general
traffic facts. During the 1999 and 2000 prom and graduation season, BET?s
national youth talk show ?Teen Summit? aired a segment on alcohol- free
events for prom attendees and driving tips for teens who planned to drive to
the prom. BET cable estimated that more than 6 million youth viewed the
special prom and graduation episode.
$63,000 National Zero Tolerance Education Project funded a 1- hour single
site teleconference focusing on youth
and law enforcement relationships as they relate to Zero Tolerance
enforcement and promotion. The teleconference will be broadcast by satellite
and will also be available on the Internet.
$60,000 Source: NIAAA, SAMHSA, and NHTSA
Appendix III: Federal Agencies? Fiscal Year 2000 Program Activities Related
to Underage Drinking That Included a Media Component
Page 30 GAO- 01- 503 Underage Drinking
In addition to the particular program activities identified as having media
components, agency officials who manage block or formula grant programs said
that these programs may also include media components. However, they could
not provide detailed information on state program activities under these
grants because block and formula grant programs allow recipients substantial
discretion to identify problems, design programs, and allocate funds. In
addition, federal administrative reporting requirements for these types of
grants are limited.
While federal program managers did not have specific information regarding
the use of the block or formula grant funds, NHTSA and Office of Elementary
and Secondary Education officials provided general information regarding the
use of these funds for media campaigns. NHTSA officials said that the State
and Community Highway Safety Grant Program permitted states to use funds to
pay for media advertising as part of a highway safety program in fiscal year
2000, and that the Alcohol Impaired Driving Countermeasures Grant Program
permits states to use funds to pay for the development of materials for free
television or radio airings or print advertisements, but does not permit
payment for media advertising.
According to an official at the Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education, 838 projects- about 40 percent of the projects implemented- in
the Safe and Drug- Free School and Communities Act State Grant Program
included media activities. About one- third of the 23 projects funded in the
National Program authorized in the same act included some type of media
advertising component.
Besides the programs mentioned above, ONDCP officials said that some of the
match funding from the National Youth Anti- Drug Media Campaign had been
used to air anti- alcohol public service announcements to youth. The agency
does not routinely track the extent to which this has occurred. However,
ONDCP had a one- time value estimate of $25 million on the amount provided
to nonprofit groups and government agencies for alcohol- related messages
during a 30- month time period ending in December 2000. The targeted
audience for these messages included both youth and the broader community.
(440005)
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