Advocacy Plan for Alcohol Use Disorder Patients

Globally, there are about three million individuals who die each year as a result of alcohol consumption or other alcohol-related issues, whereas in the United States of America, there are about 88,000 alcohol-related deaths annually (American Public Health Association, 2019 & American Addiction Centers, 2022). The data provided shows a need for an advocacy plan to help reduce the incidence and prevalence rates of alcohol use disorder patients. The advocacy plan will be developed on the national, state, and local levels to ensure there is a reduction in the high morbidity and mortality rates related to alcohol use disorder.

National, State, and Local Level Advocacy Plan

At a national level, the federal government may help to regulate the consumption of alcohol in the country using two main approaches. The first plan includes making a policy that restricts alcohol marketing and instead uses the opportunity to create awareness about the dangers of alcohol use. The second advocacy plan will generate awareness about available treatments and free counseling for alcohol use disorders across the country. On the flip side, the advocacy plan on a state level will require the state government to create policies that will help to reduce the negative consequences of drinking and alcohol intoxication. All companies involved in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages will be needed to adhere to a new set of rules that limits alcohol consumption beyond a certain level. The other plan involves the adoption of responsible beverage service training laws. On a local level, the advocacy plan will involve maintaining limits on the hours and days of the sale. The second plan consists of lessons in classes where people are taught about drug abuse to create awareness among students on the dangers of alcohol.

Steps And Activities at Each Level for Both Advocacy Efforts

At the national level, I will liaise with interest and lobby groups who have direct contact with politicians and use them to advocate for policy changes on the manufacture, distribution, marketing, and sale of alcohol. The other activity involves liaising with government officials to raise a motion in the house of representatives and senate to discuss a bill that will help to raise funds for the development of healthcare institutions dedicated to helping alcohol use disorder patients. On a state level, I will liaise with interest groups who can advocate for changes in policies and laws that will reduce the negative consequences of drinking and alcohol intoxication. I will need the same interest groups to liaise with government officials to make policies that force all manufacturers, distributors, and sellers to ensure that everyone involved in the business has undergone the responsible beverage service training laws. Lastly, I will also liaise with local officials and raise concerns about drinking hours and days to limit alcohol consumption. I will also create an open forum with education officials and representatives of all the learning institutions and encourage them to make efforts to include lessons about alcohol use and alcohol use disorder.

Advocacy Partner/Organization

All the activities listed above are challenging to achieve as an individual. However, there are several organizations that I may partner with to achieve the national, state, and local level objectives. I will liaise with the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Alcohol Justice, and Alcoholics Anonymous at the national level. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is one of the most valued organizations dedicated to alcohol use disorder. It provides funding for alcohol research throughout the country (Parast et al., 2018). On the state level, I will liaise with a non-profit organization group called Families Against Narcotics and Michigan Addiction Project, which are based in Michigan (Families Against Narcotics, 2022 & Michigan.gov., 2022). Family Against Narcotics (FANS) has more than 20 chapters across Michigan; thus, the group will impact my mission to accomplish the activity (Families Against Narcotics, 2022). Michigan Addiction Project aims to help individuals understand that addiction is a treatable condition (Michigan.gov., 2022). Lastly, I will liaise with Detroit Recovery Project, a non-profit organization run by individuals and teaches people to remain sober in the long run.

Advocacy Plan Timeline

Budget Estimate for all activities

I do not need to incur a lot of money for most activities since I will liaise with lobbyists who advocate for law and policy change on my behalf. Most of the advocacy plan requires the amendment of policies and the establishment of new laws. However, all the interest groups and lobbyists have to be paid a premium since they are professional advocates. According to Guttman (2021), the annual salary of a lobbyist is 116.8 thousand U.S. dollars. Five activities require the intervention of a lobbyist group; thus, the budget needed to pay for the lobbyist group is about six hundred U.S. dollars. The last activity involves having discussions with education leaders within the local communities. I only need to pay for the venues and any other items we need, which may not cost more than 30,000 USD.

Funding the Advocacy Plan

Most of the funds will be obtained through a GoFundMe and other donations on a website that will be created to advocate for alcohol abstinence purposely. The reason for using GoFundMe as the primary donation tool is that it is easy to use and has no deadlines or limits. I will also ask for funds from friends and liaise with the organizations such as the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), which will help fund the advocacy plan.

Three Methods to Sustain Momentum

• Create a website with weekly updates and constant reminders on the importance of the advocacy plan.
• Ensure that GoFundMe remains active and keep an update of every expenditure of all the money contributed for accountability purposes. Transparency in such activity will motivate more people to contribute and help me achieve my objectives.
• Invite more non-profit organizations focusing on alcohol cessation, anti-drug campaigns, and advocacy for policy change.

Conclusion

The advocacy plan that I have developed focuses mostly on changes in policies and laws that influence how alcohol is consumed in the country. If the proposed policies and laws were to pass in parliament and senate, they would become law and help restrict the manufacturers, distributions, and sellers from selling excessive alcohol. Education on drugs and alcohol abuse is meant to encourage students against indulging in alcohol consumption.

References

American Addiction Centers (2022). Alcohol Education, Advocacy, & Policy Groups. Retrieved 2 November 2022, from https://alcohol.org/advocacy-groups/

American Public Health Association. (2019). Addressing alcohol-related harms: a population level response. Policy, (201912).

Families Against Narcotics (2022). Make an impact in someone’s life by becoming a Hope Not Handcuffs Volunteer Angel. Retrieved 2 November 2022, from https://www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org/

Guttman, A. (2021). Annual lobbyist salaries in the United States as of September 27, 2021, by percentile (in 1,000 U.S. dollars). Retrieved 2 November 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/701884/lobbyist-salary-usa.

Johnson, A. (2022). Detroit Recovery Project – Supporting the Recovery of Drug, Alcohol Addicts in the Community: Detroit Recovery Project Inc. Retrieved 2 November 2022, from https://recovery4detroit.com/

Michigan.gov. (2022). Michigan Addiction Project. Retrieved 2 November 2022, from https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi healthy/mental health/drug control/treatment/content/Michigan-addiction-project

Parast, L., Meredith, L. S., Stein, B. D., Shadel, W. G., & D’Amico, E. J. (2018). Identifying adolescents with alcohol use disorder: Optimal screening using the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism screening guide. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 32(5), 508.