The Maricopa County Urban Indian Coalition of Arizona (UICAZ) is an alliance of concerned stakeholders focusing on the needs of urban American Indian (AI) youth in Maricopa County. Coalition members collaborate to implement individual, community, and environmental prevention strategies to combat local American Indian youth alcohol and illicit drug abuse. The Phoenix Indian Center (PIC) serves as the fiscal agent of the Maricopa County UICAZ Coalition and helps coordinate the implementation of its strategic plan. All of the Coalition’s efforts to carry out substance abuse prevention employ the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF).
The Phoenix Indian Center, originally established in 1947, incorporated with the State of Arizona as a private non-profit "501(c)(3)" status in 1954 making it the oldest urban-based nonprofit organization serving the needs of American Indians. Today, the Center is the primary resource of social, economic, educational, leadership, employment and training for urban American Indians residing in Maricopa County.
As part of its goal to reduce substance use among American Indian youth, the Coalition is focusing its efforts on reducing the use of alcohol and the abuse of prescription drugs. Adolescents who begin drinking at a young age are more likely to develop alcohol dependence. According to the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey (AYS) findings, youth in Maricopa County reported age of alcohol initiation as 12.9 years old. Age of initiation for Maricopa County American Indian youth was slightly older at 13 years old. Maricopa County youth reported age of regular alcohol use as 14.6 years, while American Indian youth reported 14.4 years. When asked about 30-day alcohol use, 20 percent of American Indian youth reported using alcohol in the last 30 days. These data indicate that American Indian students in Maricopa County are introduced to alcohol and report regular alcohol use at younger ages compared to non-American Indian counterparts.
The Phoenix Indian Center Needs Assessment FY2015 suggests that prescription drug use is on the rise. Although currently use is not as high as other substances for American Indian youth, it is concerning that the prescription drug use is rising within the community. The percentage of American Indian students who reported using prescription drugs during their lifetime totaled 13.3%, while the percentage of American Indian students who reported having used prescription drugs during the past 30 days totaled 5.7%. The AYS 2018 reported Maricopa County American Indian youth as obtaining Rx drugs most from: Family/relatives, 24.4%; and Home, 23.2%.
The efforts outlined within this project will increase community collaboration and reduce youth substance use among American Indian youth. The Coalition will increase active sector representation in the Coalition's four working subcommittees so that at least two individuals from each sector are included on at least one subcommittee. The UICAZ will: teach parents, caregivers, and other adult members of the community effective skills and strategies to prevent youth alcohol use; teach youth ages 10-17 effective skills and strategies to prevent alcohol use and prescription drug abuse/use by minors; and create a formal change in written procedures to decrease the ease, ability and opportunity for youth to access prescription drugs at home through the installation of four prescription drug drop boxes throughout the community for easier disposal of leftover drugs.
