In 2006, SAMHSA and the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on Preventing Underage Drinking convened a national meeting for states to come together to discuss how to prevent underage alcohol use. A delegation of state officials from Mississippi were sent to this meeting to learn more about evidence-based practices and strategies for combating this issue from a statewide perspective. As a result of this meeting, the Mississippi Underage Drinking Task Force was created in an effort to bring together representatives from key state agencies. Their shared vision was to reduce underage drinking in Mississippi. A notable product of this shared vision was a video highlighting the scope and magnitude of underage drinking in our state.
Mississippians Advocating Against Underage Drinking (MAAUD) was formed in 2007 as a coalition of community-based organizations from across the state. Their focus centered on strengthening statewide legislation related to underage drinking, thereby reducing a minor's access to alcohol. Additionally, MAAUD collaborated with the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup to collect, analyze, and share data related to the prevalence and consequences of underage drinking.
In 2008, the Task Force joined MAAUD to form a single statewide coalition, keeping the name MAAUD. This merge enabled us to combine resources, making our efforts all the more efficient and effective. Since then, we have maintained our role as a statewide coalition by providing support to local coalitions throughout the state. Our initiatives continue to focus on statewide media campaigns as well as public policy advocacy and change. To date, we have representatives from most state agencies as well as community-based organizations and non-profits around the state.
