MYHAC has taken a lead role in gathering information and mobilizing youth-led action around public health concerns, and conducted a comprehensive community assessment of youth substance access in Marin  — and issued a series of recommendations for addressing issues raised by this assessment.

Alcohol Industry Sponsorship and Promotions Working Group — will assess the prevalence of alcohol industry sponsorship of youth-friendly and family-oriented events throughout Marin County. In addition, this group will look at the various tactics the alcohol industry uses to promote their product among young people. After a comprehensive assessment, the group will develop an action plan and advocate for changes on a policy level.

Media Advocacy Working Group — will promote community awareness, impact the social norms, and support public-policy change around alcohol and other drug use (AOD) among youth and adults in Marin County. The working group will seek to use media messages to influence policymakers, other key decision-makers and the community at large. The program also will provide opportunities for young people to learn skills to implement media advocacy campaigns in the future.

YHAC Survey Working Group — will build upon the research conducted by their predecessors during the 2002-2003 school year. The survey will comes out of an environmental prevention perspective and focused on two key research questions related to the (1) messages young people receive about using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and (2) youth access to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The goal of this working group is to collect data that would provide the community with information about how to address alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues and to make recommendations to key decision-makers.

Breaking the Link Working Group — is a diverse group of youth and adults who are concerned about Marin County's unusually high rate of binge drinking and aware of the connection between binge drinking and sexual assault. Currently, this group is working on a social norms marketing campaign to reduce alcohol-related sexual assault.

Technical Assistance Working Group — will provide youth-led trainings and technical assistance to other local youth groups. In addition, this group will develop and deliver presentations and workshops at local and statewide conferences.

Friday Night Live Peer Network — is made up of a youth representative from various youth groups throughout the county. This group provides an opportunity for young people to network among themselves. They will share their youth group's successes and challenges and support one another through leveraging resources and mobilizing their youth groups for different events and initiatives.

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