The Dakota County Public Health Department will coordinate the Because It Matters public awareness campaign in Dakota County. The Dakota Partnership for Healthy Communities (DPHC), a citizen group, will work with the Public Health Department to develop strategies for promoting and sustaining ongoing awareness building. The Community Norms and Standards Committee of the DPHC has already begun work to develop implementation strategies.

Campaign Goals

We will work to provide information and resources to Dakota County adults so that they can:

• establish guidelines for decisions about safe and legal use of alcohol;
• become engaged in examining their alcohol use decisions;
• serve as appropriate role models; and
• build shared messages for using or declining to use alcohol.

Community Involvement

Several community partners are interested in having a role to reinforce campaign messages. Key community partners we will approach include:

• businesses (municipal liquor stores, bars, restaurants);
• community-based coalitions and Healthy Community Initiatives;
• Dakota County departments (Public Health, Community Corrections, Courts, Social Services, Sheriff's Department);
• Health Service providers;
• Parent Communication Networks;
• law enforcement; and
• media (local newspapers and cable access).

Key Distribution Components

• Activities will begin with a mass distribution of items found in the media kit.
• Efforts will begin by distributing the press releases and initial news information articles to all ten local newspapers.
• Key partners representing the many communities throughout Dakota County will be included.
• The Public Health Department will take responsibility for providing technical assistance.
• We will personalize the messages so that they accurately reflect the values, issues and areas of concern of Dakota County citizens.
• Brief announcements with Because It Matters messages will be created to be used with the community bulletin boards on local public access cable.
• We will identify effective strategies that we will use to respond to local current events.
• We will strive to provide ongoing activities that reinforce campaign core messages.

Community norms on adult alcohol use will be identified, clarified and reinforced.

• Awareness levels will be raised, enhanced and reinforced by key core messages.
• Local alcohol vendors will participate in promoting campaign messages.
• The community will experience multiple messages which reinforce core messages.
• Multiple strategies will reinforce core messages in the community.