The report provides a unique appraisal of Washtenaw and Livingston Counties' community level attributes that facilitate or discourage underage drinking. These geographically based attributes, including liquor license rates per capita, "selling to minors" violation rates, and law enforcement officers per capita all help indicate broad community factors that have been shown to influence underage drinking. The report also includes data regarding alcohol use and consequences that are affected by these environmental circumstances. According to the U.S. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA), assessing and affecting these factors, along with retail and social access, enforcement of liquor laws, price and promotion, perceptions of risk and harm, and social and family norms may be more effective in reducing underage drinking than implementing individual level interventions.
 
As a result, SAMHSA provided funding to states to assist local substance abuse coordinating agencies in changing the way substance abuse prevention occurs in their communities. The emphasis of these dollars has not only included the high level environmental and policy circumstances, but also primary prevention, specifically eliminating or delaying onset of underage drinking. Ultimately, the resulting informed interventions will affect motor vehicle fatalities associated with underage drinking.

This cooperative effort combined the skill and knowledge base of the Livingston/Washtenaw Substance Abuse Advisory Committee, providing a long history of leadership in substance abuse prevention efforts throughout the two counties, along with the Public Health Department's facility in assessing primary prevention needs and opportunities. We hope and anticipate that this information provides evidence and catalyst for more effective underage drinking prevention partnerships and strategies throughout Livingston and Washtenaw Counties.