Town Hall Meetings - Spring 2006 - Lessons Learned

1. Media advocacy worked, but required a substantial amount of lead time.
2. Panel discussion promoted awareness, but not action.
3. Youth participation could be useful, but distracted attention from adult responses to underage alcohol use.
4. Weekday meetings targeting parents need to provide a light supper or snack.
5. Organizers were frustrated by a lack of peers.
6. Limiting the agenda to "awareness" limited effectiveness.

Town Hall Meetings - Fall 2006 - Lessons Learned

1. Wisconsin's adults have embraced alcohol industry messages about parent responsibility for underage drinking.
2. Culture matters. Wisconsin has a difficult alcohol environment, but perhaps not as difficult as residents perceive.
3. Wisconsin residents are unaware of effective community options to prevent and reduce underage drinking.
4. Action requires courage and is part of the civic infrastructure.
5. Frame the issue carefully to move from awareness to action.
6. Small communities of interest working in isolation can't change communities, broad based community groups can.