ORONO – The University of Maine played host to more than 50 local law enforcement officers, campus security officers and university staff members Tuesday for a training session, “Preventing Alcohol Problems and Changing the Environment: Liquor Laws and Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Issues on Maine’s College Campuses.”

Frank Lyons of the state’s Bureau of Liquor Enforcement was the featured speaker. The training session was sponsored by the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement and the Office of Substance Abuse.

Representatives from UMaine, Central Maine Technical College, Southern Maine Technical College, Maine Maritime Academy, Unity College, Eastern Maine Technical College, the University of Maine at Machias, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the University of Southern Maine, Colby College, Thomas College and St. Joseph’s College attended the session.

Each institution sent a team consisting of at least three people, including: a representative from campus safety/security or campus police; a representative from the local police department or sheriff’s office; and a non-law enforcement campus employee who deals frequently with alcohol-related problems.

Kathryn McGloin, the coordinator of UMaine’s Substance Abuse Prevention Services, called the session an opportunity for representatives from Maine’s universities and local enforcement agencies to work together to increase effective enforcement commitment and involvement.

“We need to learn to manage the environment better, so that the campus and the community give students the same message: high risk drinking is not okay,” McGloin said.

According to state officials, recent research has highlighted the potential effectiveness of environmental prevention strategies. Such strategies aim to change community norms, increase enforcement and reduce underage access to alcohol rather than attempting to impact individual decisions solely through education and intervention.

McGloin adds that students are often bombarded by conflicting messages, which may include advertisements offering tips for responsible drinking alongside advertisements for happy hours.

The session was offered as part of the Office of Substance Abuse’s two-year Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Project. The funding for this project became available in October, when the United States Department of Justice awarded a $400,000 grant to the Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services.

The funding is administered through the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The grant is awarded to 10 or fewer states on a competitive basis each year. It is the second year in a row Maine has received the grant.

The Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Project has extended two-year sub-grants to UMaine, Central Maine Technical College, Eastern Maine Technical College, Maine Maritime Academy and Unity College.

UMaine’s Substance Abuse Prevention Services program has received a $40,000 sub-grant, as well as a $15,500 grant from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

The program is currently working to establish a Student Advisory Board and a Campus/Community Coalition.

McGloin will work closely with the six-member Student Advisory Board, which recently held its first meeting. The students are currently developing a mission statement, which will include the goals, objectives and strategies of the group.

McGloin said she expected the group to review UMaine’s substance abuse policies and to be a key part of the Campus/Community Coalition.

The coalition is still in the planning stages, but McGloin hopes members of the community, including landlords and the owners of businesses that sell alcohol, will become enthusiastic partners.

The coalition will seek to include citizens and decision-makers from diverse political, social and economic backgrounds. Its work will include developing strategies and programs that address the problems of high risk drinking both on and off campus.

McGloin says this kind of all-encompassing strategy is vital for the prevention of high risk drinking.

“Those of us on campus or in the community are all stakeholders. We can’t change the environment if we only work with students; and we can’t change the environment if we only work with townspeople,” she said. “The biggest change will come when we all listen to one another.”

To obtain information, or to join the Campus-Community Coalition, contact McGloin at 581-4171.