On the Rocks: Fixing Our Fractured Alcohol Policies

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On the Rocks: Fixing Our Fractured Alcohol Policies

Recorded: Thursday, April 23, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026
On-Demand Session

Overview

This 75-minute on-demand session from the ASAM 57th Annual Conference addresses evidence-based alcohol policy reform, equipping clinicians with advocacy skills, messaging techniques, and practical tools for population-level impact.

Alcohol-related harm is rising, yet policy solutions remain underused and fragmented. This dynamic, hands-on workshop equips clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals with proven strategies to influence alcohol policy through effective messaging, advocacy tools, and real-world examples. Attendees will leave with actionable skills to drive meaningful change in their communities to improve health and well-being.

The target audience for this Intermediate level session includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other clinicians, researchers, residents, fellows, and students.

This session addresses the following ACGME Competencies: Interpersonal and Communication Skills.

This session addresses the following IPEC Competencies: Values and Ethics, Communication, Teams and Teamwork.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, learners will be able to:

  1. Analyze and apply evidence-based alcohol policy strategies to real-world advocacy scenarios.
  2. Identify concrete ways in which clinicians, researchers, and other addiction professionals can engage in policy advocacy.
  3. Develop and deliver concise, persuasive policy messages using storytelling and media techniques.

Registration Rates

Rate DescriptionRate
ASAM Member$29
Non-Member$39
Associate Member$19
Resident Member*$19
Student Member*$19

*Residents, Fellows-in-training, Interns, and Students must join ASAM to receive a discounted registration rate. Click here to become an ASAM member. National and Chapter membership dues apply. There is no charge for Students to become a Member, but verification of student status is required.

Membership Question?  Call ASAM at 1.301.656.3920, email us, or view the ASAM website for more information.

Refunds & Cancellations

All ASAM eLearning Center refund requests must be made in writing to education@asam.org within 90 days of purchase. Those requesting refunds for courses that are in progress will receive partial refunds or e-Learning Center credit. Automatic full refunds will be made for any course with a live-course component that has been cancelled.

Registration Open: 05/25/2026 - 04/25/2029

User Access Closed: 05/25/2029

Course Instructions

  1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the on-demand recording.
  2. Click Complete Post Test to answer multiple choice questions. You will have 10 attempts to pass and must answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly.
  3. Click Complete Evaluation to provide valuable activity feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
  4. Click the button Claim Medical Credits in the box titled Claim Credits & Certificate. Choose the type of credit and click submit. Click the button View/Print Certificate to save or print your certificate. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the ASAM eLearning Center, clicking Dashboard, and clicking Transcript/Achievements.

Need Assistance?

For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please check the FAQ page or e-mail Education@ASAM.org

ASAM is proud to offer Essential Accessibility to ensure our website is accessible and functional for all our learners while providing free assistive technology for people with the widest possible range of abilities.

Marlene Lira, MPH

Marlene Lira, MPH

DrPH Candidate

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Marlene C. Lira, MPH, is Senior Director of Research at Workit Health, President-Elect of the New Mexico Society of Addiction Medicine, and a doctoral candidate in Health Policy & Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She brings epidemiological rigor to understanding how technology and innovation can advance addiction treatment. Through her research and policy leadership, she advances evidence-based approaches across substance use disorders, informing both practice and policy change.
Marissa Esser, PhD, MPH

Marissa Esser, PhD, MPH

Founder and Principal Consultant

Esser Public Health Consulting, LLC

Marissa Esser, PhD, MPH, is the founder and principal consultant at Esser Public Health Consulting, LLC. She is the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Alcohol Program. Dr. Esser’s research focuses on quantifying the health effects of alcohol consumption and assessing the effectiveness of strategies to reduce alcohol use and associated morbidity and mortality. She has led research to better characterize several alcohol-related harms such as cancer, other drug use, and injuries. Her research has been used to improve methodologies to comprehensively quantify alcohol-attributable deaths in states and nationally, strengthening the evidence base for health policy discussions. Dr. Esser translates complex data into actionable insights to work toward improved public health outcomes. She has contributed to several federal initiatives, including two reports on alcohol from the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General. In addition, Dr. Esser led the development of CDC’s electronic screening and brief intervention, which was the federal government’s first evidence-based online tool designed to help adults decrease their alcohol use in non-clinical settings. She has also supported the development and expansion of about a dozen statewide alcohol programs, strengthening their capacity to monitor and address alcohol-related harms through a public health approach. As the founder of Esser Public Health Consulting, LLC, she provides expert technical guidance, scientific consultation, research collaboration, and education, with a primary focus on studying and reducing the adverse impacts of alcohol. Dr. Esser has authored approximately 50 publications, and her research has been featured by major media outlets such as The New York Times, CBS News, CNN, NPR, and the Associated Press. She received numerous awards from CDC for her scientific research and leadership. Dr. Esser earned a PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an MPH from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
Mike Marshall

Mike Marshall

C.E.O.

U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance

Mike Marshall is the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance (USAPA) and a nationally recognized leader in addiction policy, recovery advocacy, and systems change. With more than 30 years of experience in policy advocacy and civic organizing at the state, national, and international levels, he has led high-impact campaigns addressing substance use, public health, and health equity. In Oregon, Marshall co-founded Oregon Recovers, a statewide recovery movement, and played a key role in establishing the Oregon Alcohol Policy Alliance, the Recovery Network of Oregon, and the Recovery Community Summit. His work has focused on aligning evidence-based alcohol policy, recovery-oriented systems of care, and community-driven solutions to addiction. Marshall is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, lives in Portland, Oregon with his husband Rob, and is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. He recently celebrated 18 years of continuous recovery from drugs and alcohol.
Cara Poland, MD, MEd, FACP, DFASAM

Cara Poland, MD, MEd, FACP, DFASAM

Associate Professor

Michigan State University

Dr. Cara Poland is a recognized expert in addiction medicine. She is a faculty member at Michigan State University. She earned her medical degree from Wayne State University. She was trained in internal medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in addiction medicine at Boston Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her master’s degree in education from Boston University. She has an interest in educating healthcare providers and providers-in-training to improve care for patients with substance use disorders, particularly during pregnancy and early parenting.


In 2018, board-certified Addiction Medicine Doctor Cara Poland identified the need to strengthen our country’s Addiction Medicine workforce. Led by Dr. Poland, MI CARES trains physician-level addiction specialists in Michigan and across the country. Over 2,000 physicians in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico are currently on the pathway to becoming board-certified in Addiction Medicine. The program also teaches physicians-in-training, resident physicians, social work students, social work practitioners, APRNs, and PAs. Her didactic program involves purposeful education to train healthcare providers to treat persons with SUDs in a kind, compassionate, destigmatized way. Dr. Poland has a special interest in treating pregnant people and their families living with a substance use disorder.

A passionate and highly sought-after public speaker and educator, Dr. Poland regularly appears in the media and at community events. She has directly influenced policies and procedures around the treatment of people with SUDs. Her persistent advocacy has helped to advance evidence-based treatment, as evidenced by her role as the Public Policy Chair for the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Poland is the chair of the Michigan Opioid Advisory Commission, established as the designated state entity to advise the Michigan legislature on the use of opioid settlement funds.

No relevant financial disclosures.

Regina LaBelle, JD

Regina LaBelle, JD

Distinguished Scholar and Director of the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative

O'Neill Institute

Regina LaBelle, JD is a Distinguished Scholar and Director of the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University Law Center. Ms LaBelle also founded, directs, and is a professor in the Master of Science in Addiction Policy and Practice program at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Regina brings decades of public service to her work at Georgetown University. Most recently, she was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration to the position of Acting Director in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There, Ms LaBelle developed the Biden-Harris Administration’s drug policy priorities, which included a historic focus on harm reduction services. Regina previously served in the Obama Administration as ONDCP Chief of Staff where she oversaw the agency’s overdose response and implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy.

Prior to her work in the federal government, Regina served as Legal Counsel to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, providing legal and policy advice to the Mayor. From 1998 to 2005, Ms LaBelle was an adjunct professor of policy and ethics at the Seattle University Institute for Policy Studies.

Regina is an active member of the Washington State Bar and serves on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Independent Ethics Board. Ms LaBelle received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Boston College.

Lauren Hendy, PhD

Lauren Hendy, PhD

Research Analyst/Writer

Workit Health

Dr. Lauren Hendy is a Research Analyst and Writer at Workit Health. She has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Hendy's research prioritizes evaluating the effectiveness and reach of low-barrier telemedicine treatment for substance use disorders.
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Accreditation & Credit Designation Statements

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

The American Society of Addiction Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses

This activity awards 1.25 Nursing contact hours.

Pharmacology Hours

This activity has hour(s) that satisfy the requirements for NP and PA Pharmacology Hours.

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PAs

ASAM has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1.25 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.25 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 05/25/2029.  PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Social Workers

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, ASAM is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 general continuing education credits.

IPCE Credit

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

California Association for Drug/Alcohol Educators (CAADE)

This educational program is approved by CAADE: #CP40 999 1225.

California Association of DUI Treatment Centers (CADTP)

This educational program is approved by CADTP: #205.

California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP)

This educational program is approved by CCAPP: # OS-20-330-0227.

Other Professions - Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)

Upon completion of the activity and online evaluation, all other participants may request a certificate of participation. Participants may submit this certificate of participation to their professional organization/institute as documentation for completing this accredited continuing activity.

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) or Continuing Certification Programs (CCP)

This activity is designed to meet the requirements for MOC/CCP for several primary physician boards and for state licensing CME requirements. MOC Credit is only reported and designated for ABA, ABIM, ABP and ABS. By completing the online credit claim and evaluation, the learner permits ASAM to report credits to the appropriate Board. Learn more.

American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)

This activity offers up to 1.25 CME credits, of which 1.25 credits contribute the patient safety CME component of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s redesigned Maintenance of Certification in AnesthesiologyTM (MOCA®) program, known as MOCA 2.0®. Please consult the ABA website, www.theABA.org, for a list of all MOCA 2.0 requirements.

Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology® and MOCA® are registered certification marks of the American Board of Anesthesiology®

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 Medical Knowledge MOC points and patient safety MOC credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to 1.25 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.

American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM)

This activity has been designed to satisfy the Lifelong Professional Development requirements of The American Board of Preventive Medicine’s Continuing Certification (CCP) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPM. Please save your certificate for your records.

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)

This activity has been designed to satisfy the CME requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology’s Continuing Certification (CC) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPN. Please save your certificate for your records.

American Board of Surgery (ABS)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME requirement of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada will recognize activities registered for CME for MOC as meeting the requirements for Royal College MOC Program Section 3 (Self-Assessment Programs) credits. Visit CME that Counts for Royal College MOC for more information.

Disclosure Information

In accordance with the disclosure policies of ASAM and Joint Accreditation, the effort is made to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all accredited continuing education activities. These policies include identifying and mitigating all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies for those involved in the creation and dissemination of accredited continuing education. Click here to view the full disclosure listing.

Key:

Complete
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View On-Demand Recording
Open to view video.  |   Closed captions available
Open to view video.  |   Closed captions available Video is approximately 75 minutes long. Recorded between 04/23/26 - 04/26/26.
Complete Post Test
5 Questions  |  10 attempts  |  4/5 points to pass
5 Questions  |  10 attempts  |  4/5 points to pass This post-test has 5 questions and requires 4 out of 5 to pass the quiz.
Complete Evaluation
9 Questions
9 Questions Scroll down within the evaluation, as some questions may extend beyond the visible window.
Claim Credit & Certificate
Up to 1.25 medical credits available  |  Certificate available
Up to 1.25 medical credits available  |  Certificate available Attendees should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.