Texans For Safe And Drug-Free Youth

COMMUNITY REGIONAL FORUMS AND TRAININGS TO STRENGTHEN PREVENTION WORKFORCE CAPACITY TO ENHANCE STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING UNDERAGE ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE

MOVING IT FORWARD: STATEWIDE COALITION ADVANCING STRAT. TO REDUCE AND PREV. YTH DRG ABUSE

GRANTS FOR COALITIONS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE ALCOHOL ABUSE AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

DFC GRANT APPLICATION FOR A NEW APPLICATION FOR NEW AUSTIN DRUG-FREE YOUTH COALITION TARGETING IMPAIRED DRIVING AND YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. - THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN AN OVERALL DECLINE IN YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE, UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE CONTINUE TO BE PROBLEMS IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY. IN CENTRAL TEXAS, WHERE AUSTIN IS LOCATED, THE 2022 TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY REPORTS THAT 45% OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY HAVE USED ALCOHOL AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, AND THE AVERAGE AGE YOUNG PEOPLE FIRST START USING ALCOHOL IS 13 YEARS OLD. 19% OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY’VE USED MARIJUANA AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, AND THE AVERAGE AGE YOUNG PEOPLE START USING MARIJUANA IS 14. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY STUDENTS THINK IT’S NOT VERY OR NOT AT ALL DANGEROUS FOR KIDS THEIR AGE TO USE ALCOHOL OR MARIJUANA (17% AND 21%, RESPECTIVELY). ADDITIONALLY, THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE ARE EVIDENT IN THINGS LIKE IMPAIRED DRIVING RATES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. IN OUR COMMUNITY, MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE. EASY ACCESS TO BOTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA PRODUCTS IS A CONCERN, AND CURRENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES HAVE MADE IT EVEN EASIER FOR KIDS TO ACCESS THESE SUBSTANCES. THE AUSTIN DRUG-FREE YOUTH COALITION HAS FOUND THAT THERE IS A LACK OF AWARENESS AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY IN THE CITY. THESE ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS, AS THE AREAS IN WHICH CHILDREN LIVE, GROW, AND PLAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING THEIR ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG USE. AS SUCH, THE COALITION AIMS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE ISSUES IN AUSTIN, BUILD CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THESE ISSUES, AND WORK WITH DECISION MAKERS TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE POLICIES THAT PREVENT AND REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG AUSTIN YOUTH. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THE COALITION WILL 1) ASSESS THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC RISK FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE, 2) EDUCATE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ON YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES AND PROVIDE TRAINING ON EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THEM, 3) CREATE AND DISSEMINATE A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND 4) EDUCATE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND BUILD THE CITY’S CAPACITY TO PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE BY MAKING INFORMED POLICY DECISIONS THAT FOLLOW PROTOCOLS LIMITING ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA ACCESS AMONG YOUTH. AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK, THE COALITION EXPECTS TO: IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES IN AUSTIN. INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE AUSTIN DRUG-FREE YOUTH COALITION AND ITS WORK TO ADDRESS UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE IN THE COMMUNITY. ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY’S CAPACITY TO ADDRESS UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE. REDUCE YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE, AND OVER TIME, ADULT ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE, THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES. INCREASE PERCEPTION OF RISK OF ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE.

TEXAS STATEWIDE PREVENTION POLICY FORUM AND COORDINATION

PREVENTING YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL-TO-GO THROUGH TRAINING, EDUCATION, & ENFORCEMENT - TEXANS FOR SAFE AND DRUG-FREE YOUTH'S (TXSDY) PROJECT, PREVENTING YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL-TO-GO THROUGH TRAINING, EDUCATION, & ENFORCEMENT, AIMS TO ADDRESS YOUTH (AGES 12-20) ACCESS TO ALCOHOL BY CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE ALCOHOL-TO-GO COMPLIANCE TRAINING PROGRAM AND TOOLKIT. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO AID OUR STATEWIDE COALITION EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING BY DEVELOPING AND TESTING A COMPLIANCE CHECK PROCESS, ULTIMATELY ESTABLISHING BEST PRACTICES FOR ENFORCING UNDERAGE DRINKING LAWS AS THEY RELATE TO ALCOHOL-TO-GO SALES. WE ARE SEEKING STOP ACT FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT AND ACHIEVE THE PROGRAM GOALS. IN TEXAS, UNDERAGE DRINKING IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO SOLVE - ESPECIALLY WHEN STATE ALCOHOL LAWS CHANGE, HAVING BROAD IMPACT WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. THAT'S THE CASE WITH ALCOHOL-TO-GO LAWS, WHICH HAVE GREATLY EXPANDED YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL. AS SUCH, TXSDY'S STOP PROGRAM HAS THREE OVERARCHING GOALS: 1) INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO IMPROVE UNDERAGE DRINKING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS RELATED TO NEW ALCOHOL-TO-GO LAWS, 2) REDUCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERAGE DRINKING BY CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES FOR RETAILERS PROVIDING ALCOHOL THROUGH THE NEW ALCOHOL-TO-GO LAWS, AND 3) REDUCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERAGE DRINKING BY PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH EDUCATION ON ALCOHOL-TO-GO LAWS, HOW THEY INCREASE YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL, AND EVIDENCE-BASED COMMUNITY PREVENTION PRACTICES. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO BEST PRACTICES FOR COMPLIANCE CHECKS OR RETAILER EDUCATION FOR ALCOHOL-TO-GO SALES (DRIVE-THRU, CURBSIDE, HOME DELIVERY). THEREFORE, TXSDY WILL BEGIN BY CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON PROMISING PRACTICES FOR ALCOHOL-TO-GO SALES AND ENFORCING UNDERAGE DRINKING LAWS, RESULTING IN THE CREATION OF A REPORT OUTLINING FINDINGS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE WILL USE THE REPORT FINDINGS TO GUIDE CREATION OF TRAININGS AND A COMPLIANCE TOOLKIT WITH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETAILERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. DURING THE FOUR-YEAR FUNDING CYCLE OF THE STOP ACT PROGRAM, TXSDY PLANS TO PROVIDE AT LEAST 30 TRAININGS: 10 LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAININGS, 10 RETAILER TRAININGS, AND 10 COMMUNITY TRAININGS. BY THE END OF THE FOURTH YEAR, TXSDY WILL HAVE TRAINED AT LEAST 300 PEOPLE IN AT LEAST 10 DIFFERENT TEXAS COMMUNITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BUILD CAPACITY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ADDRESSING INCREASED YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL CREATED BY ALCOHOL-TO-GO LAWS - SPECIFICALLY, COMPLIANCE AND ID CHECKS - TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING. THIS PROGRAM WORKS TO ESTABLISH PROMISING AND BEST PRACTICES FOR COMPLIANCE CHECKS REGARDING DRIVE-THRU, CURBSIDE, AND HOME DELIVERY OF ALCOHOL TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE HANDS OF YOUTH. THE PROGRAM RESULTS WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, OUR STATE AS A WHILE, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

TEXAS REGIONAL POLICY FORUMS