Thinking under the influence: Community approach to preventing LGBT youth alcohol abuse

YRBS data have shown that youth who report same-sex sexual experiences also report higher rates of frequent binge drinking of alcohol (Wisconsin 2007 and 2009 YRBS). The Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP) was piloted with a group of LGBT teens in 2007, leading to an adaptation of the program to meet the needs of this younger cohort while reflecting the added inducements to use alcohol among a group of youth targeted by the alcohol industry. The program, Thinking under the Influence, was implemented in an LGBT youth group and evaluated over the course of one year. The program has also been supported by the use of limited intervention case management, youth health promoters, and formal and informal outreach. Formal outreach involved alcohol- and smoke-free social events in popular community venues. Informal outreach involved one-to-one conversations among peers about alcohol use and abuse and about upcoming formal events and group level interventions. The group level intervention consisted of a single-session that provided facts and dispelled myths about alcohol use as well as guided youth participants to case management and treatment as appropriate. Program evaluation during the pilot and early implementation phases showed significant changes in information and skills among LGBT youth that participated. Various process variables also reflected the challenges and opportunities afforded to organizations and communities that adopt prevention strategies like these.