August 2025 | Vol. 1, No. 3

From the CEO

Hello Friends,

We begin on a heartfelt note. Our beloved friend and board member, Guy Williams, passed away recently, and we continue to honor and celebrate his life well lived.

Since joining the USAPA Board in 2021, Guy brought clarity, compassion, and unwavering integrity to every conversation. His thoughtful leadership strengthened our fiscal and governance practices, always grounded in our shared mission.

We will dearly miss his wisdom, curiosity, steady presence, and warm friendship. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know and love him.

What We've Been Working On

USAPA Advocacy Collaborative

We’ve adjusted the timing of our inaugural Advocacy Collaborative. Please check out the update and join one of our upcoming info sessions to learn more. ➡️

Policy & Partnerships

Developing a national alcohol policy blueprint — a stakeholder-driven “north star” to guide efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Partnering with the Bloomberg Center for Gun Violence Prevention at Johns Hopkins to build a national collaborative on the intersection of alcohol and guns.
Partnering with the Alcohol Research Group (Berkeley, CA) to launch Drink Less for Your Breasts — a national breast cancer awareness campaign targeting young women.
Preparing national journalists for the October release of the Dietary Guidelines, reframing coverage and countering the alcohol industry’s anticipated spin.

Leadership News

We’re thrilled to welcome Marlene Lira (New Mexico) and Harry Wilson (New York City) to the USAPA Board. Both bring deep experience in policy and development, and we are excited for their leadership.

Looking Ahead

Planning for Alcohol Policy 21 (AP21) in 2026 — early bird registration is already open !
Actively engaging philanthropic foundations to prioritize funding for alcohol harm prevention. (Know someone at a foundation Please connect us!)

Cheers,

Mike

SUPPORT OUR WORK

State by State

Stories from across the country ...

Do you have news to share — a major win, milestone, challenge, or call to action? We'd love to help you share it. Please use the button below to send us the details using our submission form.

SHARE YOUR NEWS

The Advocacy Collective UPDATE

Registration Deadline Extended!

Build Power.

Advance Policy.

Protect Communities.

We are extending our registration for our inaugural cohort starting October 15, 2025!

The USAPA Advocacy Collaborative is an eight-month training program designed to equip coalitions with the skills, strategies, and training support they need to pass evidence-based alcohol policies at the local and state level.

From October 2025 to May 2026, participating coalitions will engage in a dynamic learning experience led by national alcohol policy experts and rooted in real-world impact.

Questions? Attend one of our two office hours sessions to learn more:

🗓️ August 27, 2025

Informational Session 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

Open Office Hours 2:00-3:00 p.m.

🗓️ September 9, 2025

Informational Session 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

Open Office Hours 2:00-3:00 p.m.

What’s Included:

✔ Step-by-step guidance through the 10-step policy change process

✔ Tailored coaching from experienced policy professionals

✔ Monthly trainings and webinars on cutting-edge strategies and best practices

✔ Community of practice calls with coalitions from across the U.S.

✔ Discounted registration for Alcohol Policy Conference 21 (AP21)

Why Join?

This program is designed to:

Strengthen your coalition’s ability to shape local and state alcohol policy
Connect you with a network of peers and national thought leaders
Help you build sustainable change that protects public health and safety

Apply today and join a national movement

to protect community health and safety.

Space is limited.

LEARN MORE

USAPA Pulse

What we're working on ...

DGA Update

The release of the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans is now expected in October. We're proactively working with the press to register our dismay as well as share our recommended version of the update.

STOP Act Progress

The big news this month is that the Senate included funding for the STOP Act in its version of the appropriations bill! Thank you to everyone who called, emailed and met with their legislators. We must wait until after Labor Day to learn if the House plans to follow suit.

American Public is Listening

The recent Gallup Poll informed us that the number of people drinking is at a 90-year low — not because of a switch to cannabis or reduced consumer purchasing power, but because Americans are increasingly aware of the negative health consequences of consuming alcohol and adjusting their behaviors. Information is power! While these are exciting findings, we still have so far to go and we should expect a significant, misleading response from Big Alcohol.

Take Action

This month’s calls to action:

🔎 Young Adult Participants Needed for

Alcohol Prevention Studies! 🔍

The City University of New York’s School of Public Health is looking for young adults between the ages of 18-26 for two separate alcohol related studies. A brief description each study is below and sharing via email is requested (please do not share on social media).

The Y-DAMS study is recruiting 18-20 year-olds from across the country to investigate alcohol advertising on social media. Eligible participants can earn up to $120.
The AD+ DA study is recruiting 21-26 year-olds from across the country to investigate alcohol for home delivery. (Please note, residents in Delaware, Utah, and Wisconsin and are not eligible.) Eligible participants can earn up to $110.

Both studies have been approved by the City of New York’s Institutional Review Board.

For more information, click the button below.

ALCOHOL STUDY INFORMATION

Why Care About Alcohol Policy?

📩 Invite a Friend to Subscribe 📩

Tools for State Alliances

📢 Join our Media Amplification Network!

As part of our effort to strengthen alcohol policy communications nationwide, we are building a reciprocal media amplification network with our state and local partners.

By sharing media contact lists and social media profiles, we can help give each other’s stories a wider reach — connecting national messaging to local audiences and boosting visibility for the work happening in every corner of the country.

JOIN THE NETWORK!

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We’re building a movement together — and you’re a key part of it. Please forward this to a colleague, share your updates, follow on social media, and reach out anytime.

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