Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Welcomes Hundreds to Statewide Alcohol Education Conference Focused on the Prevention of Underage and Dangerous Drinking

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today opened its annual two-day conference at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, bringing together more than 200 alcohol education professionals, counselors, law enforcement personnel and educators to discuss strategies to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking.

This year's conference, "Underage and Dangerous Drinking: Shaping Public Perception," will address the problems and issues relating to underage and dangerous drinking and provide ways to address them, through education, outreach, and the strategic use of social and traditional media sources.

"Words can pack a devastating punch and resonate with an audience. Those who work to prevent underage drinking and reduce dangerous drinking must adapt and develop memorable, powerful messages of their own in order to fight what young people see and hear in mainstream media and on social media," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is proud to offer this free conference so professionals from across the state can learn from each other, network with their peers, and improve their local efforts. Words really do matter, and the right words can make all the difference."

The conference includes sessions about the importance of using the right terminology in messaging, curriculum infusion, utilizing advertising and promotion in communities and on campus to impact alcohol education efforts, combining education and enforcement to enhance prevention measures, connecting with the media, effectively engaging with elected officials, and more.

"Every day, elementary, middle, and high school and college students are bombarded with messages that glamorize alcohol consumption or make excessive drinking seem humorous, fun, or acceptable. It takes a lot of work by a lot of different people in a community to counter those messages, which is why this conference is so important," said Jerry W. Waters, Sr., director of the PLCB Office of Regulatory Affairs.

Other conference workshops discussed related topics, such as identifying fraudulent IDs, the HERO Campaign for Schools, using Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) data to inform policy and programs, and investigating and prosecuting alcohol-related offenses.

The free conference is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board through a grant from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board provides resources to the citizens of the commonwealth to address the issues of underage and dangerous drinking. As well as facilitating this conference, the bureau develops and distributes a wide range of educational materials, manages a $1 million per year grant program, and offers technical assistance to organizations.

In addition, the PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol and also operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide. Taxes and store profits are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund. For more information about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, visit www.lcb.state.pa.us.

MEDIA CONTACT: Stacy Kriedeman, 717.783.8864

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board