Drug Free Dickson Coalition

DRUG FREE DICKSON COALITION REDUCING ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND PRESCRIPTION MISUSE IN DICKSON COUNTY YOUTH.

TO REDUCE AND PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING THROUGH AWARENESS, EDUCATION AND ACTION. - PROJECT ABSTRACT THE DRUG FREE DICKSON COALITION’S INITIATIVE AIMS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING AMONG YOUTH AGED 12-20 IN DICKSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, BY 10% BY 2029. THIS INITIATIVE WILL IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION STRATEGIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND DATA-DRIVEN EVALUATION TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC DISPARITIES, CONNECTIVITY BARRIERS, AND ALCOHOL ACCESSIBILITY IMPACTING LOCAL YOUTH. ANNUALLY, THE PROGRAM WILL ENGAGE OVER 10,000 STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN PREVENTION EFFORTS. PROJECT NAME: DRUG FREE DICKSON COALITION STOP ACT INITIATIVE TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING. POPULATION OF FOCUS: THE PRIMARY POPULATION OF FOCUS IS YOUTH AGED 12-20 RESIDING IN DICKSON COUNTY, A RURAL COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY 57,000 PEOPLE. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS DEMOGRAPHIC INCLUDE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES (46% OF STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCHES), LIMITED BROADBAND ACCESS (16% OF HOUSEHOLDS), AND HIGH ALCOHOL ACCESSIBILITY DUE TO RURAL SOCIAL NETWORKS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO ADDRESS GROWING DIVERSITY IN THE COUNTY, PARTICULARLY AMONG HISPANIC AND BLACK YOUTH, WITH CULTURALLY TAILORED OUTREACH STRATEGIES. STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS: 1. SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS: IMPLEMENT BOTVIN LIFESKILLS TRAINING IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND HOST ASSEMBLIES WITH GUEST SPEAKERS. 2. MEDIA AND OUTREACH: LAUNCH BILINGUAL SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND DEVELOP PREVENTION MATERIALS FOR YOUTH AND PARENTS. 3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: PARTNER WITH THE DRUG-FREE DICKSON COALITION TO HOST EVENTS DURING HIGH-RISK TIMES (E.G., PROM AND GRADUATION) AND ORGANIZE PARENT WORKSHOPS. 4. LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLABORATION: STRENGTHEN COMPLIANCE CHECKS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL ALCOHOL SALES BY 10%. 5. DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION: CONDUCT SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS TO MONITOR TRENDS AND PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS. PROJECT GOALS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES: GOAL 1: REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING RATES BY 10% BY 2029 AS REPORTED ON THE TN TOGETHER SURVEY. O OBJECTIVE 1.1: REACH 75% OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNUALLY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS. OBJECTIVE 1.2: CONDUCT COMPLIANCE CHECKS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL ALCOHOL SALES BY 10%. GOAL 2: BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY FOR LONG-TERM PREVENTION. O OBJECTIVE 2.1: ENGAGE 20 YOUTH ANNUALLY IN A PEER-LED ADVISORY BOARD. O OBJECTIVE 2.2: HOST FOUR COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS EACH YEAR TO EDUCATE PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND STAKEHOLDERS, REACHING UNDERSERVED AREAS AND AT RISK DEMOGRAPHICS. NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED: THE PROJECT WILL SERVE OVER 3,000 YOUTH ANNUALLY THROUGH DIRECT PROGRAMMING AND ENGAGE MORE THAN 25,000 STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT ITS LIFETIME. NITY STAKEHOLDERS IN PREVENTION EFFORTS.