Policies, Laws and Legislation in Nebraska
Policy is an important part of the triangulated approach that NU Directions uses to address issues related to the alcohol environment. Policies are simply codified community standards, created through a consensus of perspectives across the community. Policies can be voluntary -- an establishment with an alcohol license may choose to train all their employees on responsible alcohol sales and service, believing that doing so will ensure a safe and reputable environment -- or they can be mandated to train their staff through laws or ordinances. Regardless of the origin, all policies require both Education (to help people know how to live under the community standard) and Enforcement (to ensure compliance with the agreed standard through surveillance and meaningful consequences) in order to be fully effective tools in changing the alcohol environment. "Supportive legislation" is the adoption of policy by local or state lawmakers that contributes to the change or maintenance of a low-risk alcohol environment.
State alcohol laws are particularly important to the coalition for a variety of reasons. Each legislative session, the NU Directions coalition monitors proposed bills and offers active or passive support or opposition based on their comprehensive strategic plan, developed through community consensus among more than forty stakeholders in the Lincoln and UNL community first in 1998 and then again in 2003. Proposed legislation is monitored throughout the Unicameral session and communicated to coalition members, who represent a variety of constituencies. To access the legislative update, simply click on the session below.
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NU Directions also educates the Nebraska Unicameral and other policymakers on policy research concerning alcohol and young adults to assist them in their creation of appropriate legislation, and occasionally offers recommendations for new policies. Most recommended policies that support changing the alcohol environment in college communities come from science-based models. Several good examples of science-based policies can be found from The NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking, which also has a page listing campus alcohol policies at campuses across the nation, the Marin Institute, the University of Minnesota Alcohol Epidemiology Program, and The American Medical Association.
