Preventing Underage Drinking In Billings, MT - Substance Abuse Connect, a coalition in Billings (Montana’s largest city located in Yellowstone County) will use STOP Grant Funds to address the complicated problems of underage drinking in a state that ranks 46 out of 50 states for high prevalence of excessive adult drinking, with 21.7% of adults reporting binge drinking compared to 17.6% in the United States. MT has the third highest rate of alcohol-induced death in the country (20.3 per 100,000) with a 38% increase in alcohol-induced deaths between 2018 and 2019, the highest increase in the nation. Not surprisingly Yellowstone County youth are worse off than their Montana peers in most measures of underage drinking, and risk and protective factors. Montana youth, in general, are worse off than their U.S. peers. Three groups suffer disproportionately in Billings: Native American Non Reservation, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ youth. STOP Grant funds will enable the coalition to enhance existing focus groups and social media campaigns by adding a focus on these populations. Because of successful virtual work during COVID, the coalition is also aiming to increase virtual events, including doubling the number of virtual “Ask A Therapist” events conducted in partnership with Billings Public Schools via Facebook Live; introducing eight Brief Facebook Lives with the Billings School Superintendent and an expert to address the topics surfacing in focus groups. The superintendent gets a lot of traction with his Facebook Lives so this is expected to be effective with reaching parents. Two virtual Town Halls will also be conducted to get public input on underage drinking challenges and solutions. The COVID pandemic exacerbated isolation, dependence on social media, and fractured the nerves of parents and teachers. Screen time among teenagers doubled from pre-pandemic estimates of 3.8 hours per day up to 7.7 hours. Parents and teachers both report heightened conflict with youth around technology, with this being the #1 concern in Billings Public schools. Research shows a clear link with social media exposure and underage drinking risk. Social media can be a positive or negative tool for youth. With help from the STOP grant, the coalition aims to make social media a safe and protective experience for youth and families rather than increase risk for drinking initiation, glamorization of alcohol, use of alcohol for numbing mental health pain. Youth in Montana are twice as likely as their peers in the rest of the country to die from suicide, with one fifth (19.4%) of Yellowstone County high schoolers saying they made a plan to attempt suicide in 2021. When disaggregated for MT high schoolers: 28% of Native American Non Reservation youth made a plan; 29.3% of Hispanic students, 14.6% of White students; and 42% of youth who report being victimized because they are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The intervention will be to implement Digital Citizen Academy in all Billings public middle and high schools. The research-based intervention has components for youth, teachers, and parents and is proven to increase youth internet safety, family guidelines for media use, positive school climate, and decrease school technology infractions 66%. Finally, an Underage Drinking Advisory group will be established to oversee the work that includes a cross-section of governmental, nonprofit, parents, business, and school partners. This includes the Yellowstone County DUI Task Force, YC Suicide Prevention Coalition (alcohol contributes 42% of suicides in MT), the Billings Police Underage Drinking Enforcement Team, and parents. The coalition will lean on Native American Non Reservation, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ members for assistance with the equity focus.
