Monroe County Coalition Inc

MONROE COUNTY COALITION FOR A SAFE AND DRUG FREE COMMUNITY

MONROE COUNTY COALITION ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA PREVENTION

SOBER TRUTH PROJECT - THE MONROE COUNTY COALITION (MCC), IS A DRUG-FREE COALITION ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION (COA), AND IS IN ITS 15TH YEAR OF OPERATION IN FLORIDA’S SOUTHERNMOST COUNTY (82,874 PEOPLE, US CENSUS 2020 QUICK FACTS). MCC’S DFC FUNDS ARE SET TO EXPIRE 9.29.22. WE PROPOSE TO IMPLEMENT THE SOBER TRUTH PROJECT WITH THE FOLLOWING OVERARCHING GOAL: BY 9.29.26 AMONG 12–20-YEAR-OLDS COUNTYWIDE, PREVENT AND/OR REDUCE PAST 30-DAY ALCOHOL USE BY 5% AS EVIDENCED BY DATA FROM FYSAS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR 12-20 YEAR OLD YOUTH POPULATION OF FOCUS WILL BE APPROXIMATELY: 40% WHITE/NON-HISPANIC; 22% HISPANIC; 22% BLACK; 16% OTHER/MULTI RACE. OTHER BENEFICIARIES OF OUR PROJECT INCLUDE PARENTS, VISITORS, BUSINESS EMPLOYEES, AND MORE. IN TOTAL, WE EXPECT THE SOBER TRUTH PROJECT WILL REACH AT LEAST 20,000 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR OF OUR 5-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD. WITH A GENERALLY LAID-BACK LIFESTYLE, THE KEYS TROPICAL HAVEN FEELS LIKE A TASTE OF PARADISE FOR MANY. HOWEVER, MANY EXPERIENCE A HEFTY PRICE TAG WHEN ALCOHOL IS INVOLVED. MONROE COUNTY HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF BARS RELATIVE TO THE POPULATION SIZE (A STARTLING FOUR-FOLD RATE 17.5 PER 10,000 COMPARED TO 4.03 AND 4.22 BARS PER 10,000 PEOPLE IN THE US AND FLORIDA RESPECTIVELY). THE EFFECTS OF SUCH FLAGRANT EXPOSURE TO ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY AND PROMOTION ON OUR MONROE YOUTH IS DEMONSTRATED IN THE BIANNUAL 2020 FLORIDA YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE SURVEY (FYSAS) WHICH REFLECTS THE INCIDENCE OF UNDERAGE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, IN SOME CASES DOUBLE, AMONG MONROE YOUTH WHEN COMPARED TO THEIR STATE PEERS. ALARMINGLY, 56.8% OF MONROE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL IN THEIR LIFETIME, 29.6% IN THE PAST 30 DAYS AND NEARLY A QUARTER OF ALL HS STUDENTS (23.8%) REPORTED DRINKING ALCOHOL UNTIL BLACKOUT. OUR LOCAL ALCOHOL DATA POINT TO THREE NEEDS FOR ENHANCED ALCOHOL INFRASTRUCTURE: (1) MONROE’S FEMALE STUDENTS REPRESENT THE LARGEST ALCOHOL USING GROUP (LIFETIME ALCOHOL USE AT 47% COMPARED TO 38% OF THEIR FEMALE PEERS); (2) BINGE DRINKING AMONG LOCAL YOUTH, ON A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY SINCE 2012 AT 18.8%, IS NOW AGAIN ON THE RISE; AND (3) THE HISPANIC/LATINX POPULATION HAD THE MOST GROWTH OVER THE PAST DECADE YET ALCOHOL PREVENTION MATERIALS IN SPANISH HAVE NOT KEPT PACE. THESE, AND OTHER ISSUES SUGGEST A NEED FOR ENHANCED CAPACITY TO RESPOND. OUR STOP PROJECT APPROACH WILL EMPLOY A COMBINATION OF ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS, COLLABORATIVE EXPERTISE, AND COMMUNITY DIALOG TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR TRULY EFFECTIVE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERAGE ALCOHOL PREVENTION RESPONSE THAT COLLECTIVELY WILL: REDUCE UNHEALTHY NORMS (E.G., HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT, PEER-TO-PEER ALCOHOL SPECIFIC ENHANCED TIK TOK SOCIAL NORMING VIDEOS, SAMHSA’S TALK THEY HEAR YOU CAMPAIGN [SPANISH TOO]); REDUCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERAGE DRINKING (E.G., WE ID SIGNAGE, RVT TRAINING, NO ONE’S HOUSE IS A SAFE PLACE FOR TEEN DRINKING CAMPAIGN [SPANISH TOO]); CREATE CHANGES IN UNDERAGE DRINKING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS (E.G., QUARTERLY COMPLIANCE CHECKS, MERCHANT RECOGNITION WITH BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT SELL TO MINORS, PARTY PATROLS); REDUCE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERAGE DRINKING (ALCOHOL EDU AND ALCOHOL-WISE, ALL STARS, PARENT-WISE; AND BUILD ON OUR 12-MONTH STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN. OUR PROJECT PARTNERS WILL INCLUDE MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE, FLORIDA KEYS CHILDREN’S SHELTER (FKCS), WESTCARE (GUIDANCE CARE CENTER/GCC), EDUCATIONAL COALITION FOR MONROE COUNTY (ECMC) AND MARATHON’S MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL’S CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE, AND OTHERS. OUR PROJECT EVALUATION CONSULTANT, LEE CRANDALL. PH.D., MEDICAL SOCIOLOGIST, HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCHER, AND SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST, WILL PROVIDE A LEAD ROLE IN PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.

STOP ACT INITIATIVE OF MONROE COUNTY TO PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING

STOP ACT INITIATIVE OF MONROE COUNTY TO PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING

MONROE COUNTY COALITION ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG PREVENTION