NCJ Number
76244
Date Published
1980
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This study of three Wyoming communities is part of an ongoing, 3-year project designed to provide information on the incidence and prevalence of alcohol-related problems in rapidly growing towns.
Abstract
The long-term goal is to assist communities and industries find measures which can be instituted at the local level to prevent drinking patterns from creating excessive social problems. Examined here are Hanna, a boom/bust coal-mining town which began to grow again in 1975; Rawlins, an urban-industrial community with a somewhat transient population and stable growth rate; and Saratoga, a stable agricultural and recreational community experiencing an influx of new residents involved in Hanna's coal mining industry. Individual sections focus on descriptions of the communities, alcohol-related problems, intervention efforts, and project evaluation and future plans. Special attention is given to a new program in Hanna which addresses the problems associated with drunk driving. The town's police chief is administering the program, which is expected to serve the needs of high school students in the form of a 10-week course offered during the regular school day, the needs of the court in offering an alternative to a fine, and the needs of industry in providing information to company transportation divisions. An evaluation project is planned and the use of pre- and post test methodology is being considered. A survey will contain questions in the areas of driving experience, attitudes about alcohol, and experience with alcohol. Data tables and graphs and a three-item reference list are included.