Monday, May 13, 2024
5/13/2024
The DART Prevention Coalition's STOP grant project intends to provide an intense focus on preventing drinking among youth ages 12-20 in Brick and Toms River townships. Key informants in both towns have reported that underage drinking is the most prominent substance use problem for youth in this area. The Coalition plans to build on existing partnerships across various sectors focusing on youth, parents, schools, merchants and law enforcement to particularly address the prevalence of parents who host underage drinking parties (social access) and sale or transfer of alcohol to minors (retail access). Founded in 2009, the DART Prevention Coalition serves all of Ocean County, NJ and its approximately 592,000 residents. The racial makeup of the county was 90.98% White, 3.15% Black or African American, with Hispanic or Latino of any race were making up 8.29% of the population. The median age for residents is 42.6 years, with an estimated 24% of the county's population under 18. Brick and Toms River townships are two of the three largest municipalities in the county in terms of population and population density and the demographics is representative of the county across the board. The DART Prevention Coalition is comprised of community leaders including law enforcement and government officials, educators, business owners, treatment providers, clergy and youth. DART focuses on preventing underage drinking, prescription drug misuse, and illegal use of marijuana and tobacco. Community-wide efforts include policy change, youth prevention groups, community education and technical assistance to new and emerging municipal level coalitions in Ocean County. Since beginning its DFC work in the catchment area in 2014, the DART Prevention Coalition has seen: an increase in youth perception of risk drinking one (1) or two (2) drinks nearly every day, an increase in perception of parental disapproval, and an increase in perception of peer disapproval. Though the Coalition has seen positive movement in three out of the four core measures, past 30-day use rates have remained stagnant for 10th and 12th graders. In assessing archival data, Ocean County liquor law violations committed by minors have decreased by 6% since 2012 and alcohol treatment admissions for individuals under 21 have decreased by 42.5%. The goals of the project are to reduce a) retail access and b) social access to alcohol by youth ages 12-20 through the following environmental strategies: 1) develop and implement a merchant reward program to encourage merchants to take proactive measures to reduce retail access of alcohol to underage youth such as participating in Project Sticker Shock events; reducing promotion of products that may target youth, including alcopops and low-priced liquor, adopt a written organizational policy requiring all staff be certified in a Responsible Beverage Server Training; adopt 100% proofing policy (retail access); 2) adoption of municipal level ordinances requiring Responsible Beverage Server Training for all servers of alcohol in Brick and Toms River (retail access); 3) increase the number of Cops in Shops details in Brick and Toms River focusing on times of year where underage drinking increases such as prom, graduation, holidays (retail access); 4) increase awareness of private property ordinances and associated consequences through coordinated and mandatory Parents Who Host, Lose the Most events (social access); 5) in conjunction with law enforcement, develop and implement an online "Party Patrol" reporting system where residents can notify police if they will be away from home (social access); 6) develop and disseminate Public Service Announcements in conjunction with law enforcement explaining the private property ordinance and fines and penalties associated with providing alcohol to an underage youth (social access); and 7) advocate for increased enforcement of consequences authorized by private property ordinances (social access).
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
