ABSTRACT
Vibrant Future Coalition’s Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Project
The overall goal of this project is to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth and young adults ages 12-18 in the North Clackamas Community. After careful data analysis, VFC decided that the population of focus for this grant will be students in the North Clackamas School District (NCSD) ages 12-18, with special attention to Latino students. Activities in this grant will be concentrated on reducing binge drinking within the population of focus, in order to enhance the efforts and progress VFC has made through its previous and on-going work. The Oregon Student Wellness Survey (SWS) data shows most youth in NCSD start consuming alcohol between 8th and 11th grade. This population is at a pivotal stage where alcohol becomes more accessible. The greatest change in youth alcohol consumption occurs between 8th and 11th grade students in NCSD (SWS, 2018). The average age of onset for drinking regularly is 15. Therefore, concentrating efforts on this age-group is vital in reducing underage consumption and binge drinking. Oregon youth also report low rates of perceived harm from drinking; only 40% of youth aged 12-17 perceive there to be “great risk from having 5 or more alcoholic drinks once or twice a week” (NSDUH, 2017). In addition to this age group, VFC will further focus strategies to reduce underage and binge drinking in the Latino population. The Latino community is the largest minority group in Clackamas County, accounting for 8.4% of the population and growing (Census, 2017). In 2017, the Oregon Healthy Teens (OHT) survey confirmed that Latino adolescents were the second highest ethnicity to have used alcohol, at 31% of 8th grade students (OHT, 2017). This subgroup also experiences elevated rates of binge drinking compared to their peers, again the second highest rates in 8th grade. Our strategies and interventions include completing a needs assessment specific to binge drinking and our target populations of youth age 12-18 and the Latino subpopulation. We propose to tackle all of the local conditions we find by using the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)’s Seven Strategies for Community Change. The Oregon Student Wellness Survey (SWS) provides data for 8th and 11th grade students on key measures related to our goals. Project goals and measurable outcomes, including the number of people to be served annually and throughout the life of the project, are listed below:
Goal 1: Organize and assess the North Clackamas Community in regards to binge drinking behaviors. Identify root causes and needs to help enhance and better address 8th - 12th grade students and the Latino subpopulation in North Clackamas.
Objective 1: In 4 years (by 2023) enhance the Vibrant Future Coalition (VFC) structure by expanding membership specific to the Latino & youth community initiatives by 50% both measured by number in attendance at meetings and signed CIA forms.
Objective 2: In 4 years (by 2023) increase VFC’s Latino Prevention Advisory Board & Youth Prevention Advisory Boards effectiveness by 40% as measured by increase in score on Coalition Effectiveness Inventory Self-Assessment Tool.
Goal 2: Increase youth perception of harm of underage drinking and reduce binge drinking behaviors among youth, with a focus on the Latino subgroup, by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of alcohol abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of alcohol abuse.
Objective 1: In 4 years (by 2023) decrease youth binge drinking behaviors by 5 percent as indicated in the results of the 8th & 11th grade Student Wellness Survey (SWS).
Objective 2: In 4 years (by 2023) increase youth perception of harm of underage drinking by 5 percent as indicated in the the results of the 8th & 11th grade SWS.
The unduplicated number of individuals we propose to serve (annually and over the entire project period) with grant fund