Community prevention planners using environmental approaches to reduce/prevent alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems often are hampered by lack of local (municipal, county) data describing AOD problems in their environmental contexts of time, location, and type of setting. Piggy-backing on police departments' current reporting protocols, the Alcohol/drug Sensitive Information Planning System in a Geographic Information System format (ASIPS/GIS) provides continuous data describing AOD involvement in all police incidents (calls-for-service or crime reports). ASIPS data are loaded into a relational data base and GIS mapping program to create "Community Tours" and "Applications Reports" that facilitate local prevention planning initiatives. Designed originally to address problems related to retail alcohol outlets, ASIPS/GIS programs are useful for documenting AOD-related problems in all local retail, public, and social environments of AOD use and availability. Continuously-collected ASIPS/GIS data are useful for monitoring and research activities as well as problem documentation. Following initial startup and training, ASIPS/GIS technology is transferred to the local police department (or other designated agency) for use by local community agencies and organizations under a no-fee license agreement. This presentation will (1) describe the operation of ASIPS/GIS programs, (2) report experiences from three California municipalities that have used ASIPS data to address AOD-related problems, and (3) explore uses of ASIPS/GIS information to support environmental approaches to prevention, particularly the "Three Actor" model that fixes responsibility for problem environments on the owners/managers of those environments.
Learning Objectives: CLEW Associates (corporation), University of California, Berkeley (Institute for the Study of Social Change).
Keywords: Substance Abuse Prevention, Community Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CLEW Associates (corporation), University of California, Berkeley (Institute for the Study of Social Change).
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Consultant to CLEW Associates
Employee of University of California