The North Carolina State Excessive Alcohol Advisory Committee (NC SEAAC) is composed of North Carolina partners that work in the prevention, treatment and recovery, policy and advocacy, and research of excessive alcohol use and its related harms. To learn more about NC SEAAC and/or if interested in joining, contact SubstanceUseData@dhhs.nc.gov. 

(Revised 09/25/2023)

2022-2023 Priorities:

• Consider local ordinances related to the sale and consumption of alcohol at local events, including adoption, implementation, and regulation of alcohol social districts

North Carolina's Excessive Alcohol Use and Related Harms Action Plan (Paused until further notice.)

2023-2024 NC SEAAC Meeting Schedule:

• Thursday, November 9, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, virtual
• Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, virtual
• Thursdsay, October 17, 2024 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, virtual

Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, virtual- NC SEAAC Meeting

Notes:

• Discussed the work of some of state level partners who work on alcohol-related issues. Partners from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission, Forensic Tests for Alcohol (FTA) Branch, and Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) discussed the impactful work that they do every day across the state.
• Thanked the following for sharing their work with the group: Jeff Strickland (ABC), Stacy Grier (ABC), Anthony Burnette (FTA), and Paul Crowley (OCME).
• The following resources were shared during the meeting:
  • Talk It Out NC: NC Survey of Parents & Students Executive Survey provides an overview of the results from a 2023 statewide survey that aims to assess the magnitude of underage drinking in North Carolina as well as the mindset of parents and children towards alcohol use. More resources from Talk It Out NC can be found here.
  • Polysubstance Fact Sheet was created by Community Impact NC and provides information on commonly misused substances and the substances that they may be used with.
  • The ABC Interactive Revenue Map provides the revenue distribution by ABC boards. ABC boards distribute funds to local nonprofit, charitable, and public works organizations. The ABC Board Directory is a directory of local ABC boards across North Carolina. Please contact your local ABC board to find out more about funding opportunities.
  • Alcohol Testing and Alcohol Involvement Among Violent Deaths by State, 2014-2016 was a study conducted to assess the characteristics of violent death by blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing status, and the proportion of decedents with a positive BAC or BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dL. From 2014-2016, North Carolina tested nearly 90% of violent death decedents for alcohol.
• For a recording of the meeting, please contact Fisher Charlton at fisher.charlton@dhhs.nc.gov.

Thursday, November 9, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, virtual- NC SEAAC Meeting

Notes:

• Reviewed main focus areas for draft action plan. Version one of the plan will focus on access to alcohol (state control, price, place, promotions, and products). The plan is continuing to be drafted. 
• Discussed excessive alcohol use data and ways to utilize it in prevention work.
• The North Carolina Division of Public Health (DPH) presented some of the alcohol-related harms trends in North Carolina. The presentation included information on statewide alcohol consumption, alcohol-related mortality, and key prevention strategies for excessive alcohol use and its related harms. More alcohol-related data and resources from NC DPH can be found here.
• Dr. Melinda Pankratz, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, presented the findings of the North Carolina Youth and Young Adult Prevention Survey. The findings covered a wide variety of topics, including alcohol misuse prevalence, disparities, and risk and protective factors.
• More of the findings can be found in the North Carolina Substance Misuse Prevention Data Dashboard. The dashboard is still being built and is subject to change. An official version of the dashboard will be housed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Guide to Community Preventive Services, Excessive Alcohol Consumption: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/topics/excessive-alcohol-consumption.html

NC Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, Alcohol Data Dashboard: https://dashboards.ncdhhs.gov/t/DPH/views/AlcoholDashboard_2020Update_04042021/Story

NC Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, Alcohol Use and Related Harms Website: https://injuryfreenc.dph.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/alcohol.htm

NC Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, North Carolina Alcohol Social Districts, July 2023: https://injuryfreenc.dph.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/pdf/SocialDistrictsActionSummary-FINAL.pdf

NC Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, The Excessive Alcohol Use in North Carolina Fact Sheet, June 2023: https://injuryfreenc.dph.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/pdf/ExcessiveAlcoholUseinNC-FactSheet.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Alcohol Program: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about.htm

The Societal Cost of Excessive Drinking in North Carolina, 2017: https://ncmedicaljournal.com/article/55455