The International Institute for Alcohol Awareness

The International Institute for Alcohol Awareness (IIAA) began as a project of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), one of the nation’s preeminent research organizations. It is now a separate and independent organization working in collaboration with PIRE.

IIAA’s mission is to promote policies, practices, and public messaging that will prevent alcohol abuse and underage drinking by discouraging heavy alcohol consumption—especially in high-risk situations—and reduce the availability of alcohol to youth. In carrying out this mission, the Institute draws on PIRE’s internationally recognized cadre of experts and extensive base of applied research on alcohol consumption and related concerns to help address specific issues and challenges surrounding alcohol use.

The organization works closely with Congress, the federal government, states, business and industry, and organizations on a host of issues related to underage drinking. It develops strategic alliances with private and public organizations and employs effective legislative, policy, communications, and grassroots strategies to achieve its policy priorities.

A priority focus of IIAA is a national campaign to promote awareness of the dangers and harms associated with underage drinking. This initiative – called America’s Partners to Prevent Underage Drinking -- acknowledges that alcohol producers, distributors, retailers, consumers, government, and the public share common interests and responsibilities for protecting youth from the health and safety risks related to illegal alcohol consumption.

IIAA believes that strategies targeting “place” – that is, strategies designed to limit youth access to alcohol at the point of sale – have proven the most effective in achieving immediate and tangible results in the battle to prevent underage drinking. For this reason, IIAA is pushing legislation in Congress to promote the use of electronic age-verification technology in retail establishments that detect fake IDs and deny youth access to alcohol. The legislation also increases support to law enforcement for compliance with alcohol minimum age purchase laws.

The International Institute for Alcohol Awareness looks forward to the introduction and passage of the Underage Drinking Prevention and Retail Assistance as a first step in a comprehensive strategy aimed at preventing underage drinking nationwide.