Community Living Above

A MOBILIZED COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE YOUTH FOR PREVENTION SUCCESS TODAY - PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY COMMUNITY LIVING ABOVE (CLA), A DRUG PREVENTION COALITION IN WEST LINN, OREGON (IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY), WORKS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO STRATEGICALLY ADDRESS RISK FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE INITIATION OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. WEST LINN IS A SMALL AFFLUENT COMMUNITY WITH UNIQUE NORMS, INCLUDING COMMON DENIAL OF THE SEVERITY OF LOCAL YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE, LIBERAL STATE DRUG LAWS CREATING A LOW PERCEPTION OF HARM, AND EASY ACCESSIBILITY TO ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES. CLA PROPOSES TO ENGAGE IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT, STRENGTHEN CAPACITY AND COLLABORATION WITH DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS, UTILIZE SCIENCE-BASED IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATE REGULARLY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF ACTIVITIES. THROUGH THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATIONS’ (SAMHSA) STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK (SPF) PROCESS, THE COALITION WILL FINALIZE A STRATEGIC PLAN TO FURTHER DEFINE ACTIVITIES TO PREVENT EARLY ONSET OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE SPECIFIC TO THE SUBSTANCES DETERMINED TO BE THE MOST PREVALENT THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITY. A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT REVEALED LOCAL CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A LOW PERCEPTION OF HARM AND EXCESSIVE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SELECTED SUBSTANCES. OREGON LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION (OLCC) DATA SHOWED WEST LINN HAS A HIGH ALCOHOL OUTLET DENSITY DEMONSTRATING SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS HIGH WITHIN THE DEFINED AREA OF THE GRANT PROPOSAL AREA. THE OLCC IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MINOR DECOY OPERATIONS TO TEST LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS ON THE EFFICACY OF CHECKING IDENTIFICATION AND REFUSAL TO SELL ALCOHOL TO MINORS. THE MOST RECENT OPERATION WAS MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO AND RESULTED IN ONLY 54% COMPLIANCE. NO FOLLOW-UP OR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH HAS BEEN PROVIDED SINCE THAT TIME. IN 2014 OREGON LEGALIZED MARIJUANA FOR “RECREATIONAL” USE, AND MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES QUICKLY SATURATED THE STATE. PRODUCERS GREW RETAIL MARIJUANA AT A RATE THAT QUICKLY EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS, AND PRICES PLUMMETED TO PRICES COMPARABLE TO THE BLACK MARKET 40 YEARS AGO. SIGNAGE GLAMORIZING MARIJUANA USE AND ADVERTISING PRE-ROLLED JOINTS FOR $2 WERE PLASTERED ACROSS COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE. WEST LINN WAS PROACTIVE AND QUICKLY ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE BANNING MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES. STILL, AS OF THIS WRITING, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DELIVER, AND AT LEAST THREE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED TO DELIVER TO WEST LINN. THE SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY OF MARIJUANA USE HAS BECOME MAINSTREAM. YOUTH IN THE REGION COMMONLY MISUSE PRESCRIPTION PILLS. OPIOIDS AND BENZODIAZEPINES ARE THE MOST POPULAR, FOR YOUTH ATTEMPTING TO GET HIGH. IN OUR AREA, YOUTH KNOW THEY CAN OBTAIN PILLS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA OR A BUS RIDE AWAY ON A STREET CORNER. ACCORDING TO THE OREGON IDAHO HIGH-INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA (HIDTA) PROGRAM, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN COUNTERFEIT PILLS DESIGNED TO APPEAR LIKE OPIOIDS AND BENZODIAZEPINES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS IN OREGON SEIZED OVER 1.3 MILLION DOSAGE UNITS OF COUNTERFEIT PILLS CONTAINING FENTANYL DURING 2021 WHICH IS DOUBLE THE AMOUNT SEIZED IN 2020. THE PILLS ARE ALMOST CERTAIN TO CONTAIN THE DEADLY SUBSTANCE FENTANYL OR ITS EQUALLY DANGEROUS ANALOGS. CLA SEEKS FUNDING TO ADDRESS EARLY-ONSET (OFTEN TOBACCO/NICOTINE) AND RISKY BEHAVIORS TO PREVENT YOUTH USE OF ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THROUGH MEANINGFUL STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE PREVALENT DRUG THREATS TO WEST LINN YOUTH AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY READINESS TO ADDRESS IT WHILE DECREASING YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE AND EARLY INITIATION OF RISKY BEHAVIORS.