United Way Of Addison County Inc

ADDISON COUNTY YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION: THIS PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING AMONG 9-20 YEAR OLDS AND REDUCE YOUTH MARIJUANA USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ADDISON COUNTY, VERMONT

ADDISON COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE & PREVENTION COALITION: REDUCING ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE AMONG ADDISON COUNTY, YOUTH

ADDISON COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE & PREVENTION COALITION: REDUCING ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE AMONG ADDISON COUNTY, VERMONT YOUTH

ADDISON COUNTY STOP ACT GRANT - THE PROPOSED PROJECT, THE ADDISON COUNTY STOP ACT GRANT WILL TAKE PLACE IN RURAL ADDISON COUNTY, VERMONT. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS PROJECT IS ADDISON COUNTY YOUTH GRADES 7-12, AND THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS APPROXIMATELY 3,500 PEOPLE TO BE SERVED ANNUALLY (14,000 THROUGHOUT THE LIFETIME OF THIS PROJECT). IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE THREE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR REGION, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCE THE CAPACITY THAT UNITED WAY OF ADDISON COUNTY'S SUBSTANCE PREVENTION COALITION, ADDISON COUNTY SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION COALITION HAS ESTABLISHED WITH DFC GRANT FUNDING BY ADDRESSING THE URGENT NEED TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING. BASED ON THE 2021 UWAC CORE SUPPLEMENTAL SURVEY, WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF LOCAL STUDENTS REPORTING ANY PAST 30-DAY USE OF ALCOHOL FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL (5.5%) TO HIGH SCHOOL (24.2%). ACCORDING TO THE SAME SURVEY, 6.6% OF STUDENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS THINK IT IS NOT WRONG TO HAVE ONE OR MORE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PER DAY. ONE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT GOALS IS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING IN ADDISON COUNTY BY IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-INFORMED ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND DECREASE RISK FACTORS AMONG YOUTH AND THEIR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS. THE ASSOCIATED MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES FOR THE GOAL INCLUDE: INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO BELIEVE THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS "THINK IT IS WRONG OR VERY WRONG FOR THEM TO HAVE ONE OR TWO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NEARLY EVERY DAY", AND INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO PERCEIVE PEER DISAPPROVAL OF ALCOHOL USE. THE SECOND GOAL IS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING IN ADDISON COUNTY BY DECREASING ACCESS TO ALCOHOL FROM COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL SOURCES THROUGH INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL COMPLIANCE CHECKS OF LOCAL ALCOHOL RETAILERS, DECREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF ADDISON COUNTY PARENTS WHO AGREE OR STRONGLY AGREE THAT IT IS OKAY FOR TEENS TO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OCCASIONALLY, AND INCREASING PARENTS OF 6-12TH GRADERS' AWARENESS OF RESOURCES AROUND YOUTH ALCOHOL USE PREVENTION. THE LAST GOAL IS TO INCREASE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND GREATER COLLABORATION AMONG ALL SECTORS AND ORGANIZATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY TO FOSTER LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING IN ADDISON COUNTY. WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK WITH YOUTH AND ARE TRAINED IN TRAUMA INFORMED CARE, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES SUPPORTING PREVENTION EFFORTS AROUND YOUTH ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, AND INCREASING CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DIALOGUE NIGHT. THROUGH THIS GRANT WE WILL ENHANCE THE CAPACITY TO STRENGTHEN THE COALITION'S EFFECTIVENESS IN ADDRESSING UNDERAGE DRINKING BY IMPLEMENTING STICKER SHOCK, AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND CHANGE ATTITUDES ABOUT SELLING AND SERVING ALCOHOL TO UNDERAGE YOUTH, BY IMPLEMENTING "CELEBRATE SAFELY", AN INNOVATIVE SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN DURING HIGH-RISK TIMES SUCH AS PROM AND GRADUATION WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE OVERALL ENGAGEMENT FROM STUDENTS, REDUCE THE RATE OF UNDERAGE DRINKING DURING HIGH-RISK TIMES, AND ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT HOW TO CELEBRATE MILESTONES WITHOUT THE USE OF SUBSTANCES. OUR COALITION WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE COUNSELING SERVICE OF ADDISON COUNTY BY IMPLEMENTING A COMMUNITY-WIDE "TRAUMA-INFORMED SYSTEMS" APPROACH TO DEVELOPING A HEALING COMMUNITY IN ADDISON COUNTY. THIS APPROACH WILL EQUITABLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FROM A TRAUMA-INFORMED PERSPECTIVE AND ENHANCE PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN ADDISON COUNTY.