The Thrive Without Drinking (TWD) project will implement prevention strategies in Youngstown, OH, to prevent and reduce underage drinking use among youth and young adults, ages 12-20. - The Coalition For Health Promotion Thrive Without Drinking (TWD) project will implement evidence-based prevention strategies in Youngstown, OH, to prevent and reduce underage drinking use among youth and young adults, ages 12-20, with a focus on underserved populations. The geographical area will be Youngstown, Ohio, (with a focus on the North, East, and West sides of town), which is located in the northeastern part of the State and is the largest urban area in Mahoning County. The primary population of focus will be youth and young adults, ages 12-20. Youngstown was a steel manufacturing giant which has lost 65% of its population since the 1960. With the demise of the local steel industry, the community risk factors of transitions and mobility, economic deprivation, low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization, and community laws and norms favorable to drug use, firearms, and crime became significantly more prevalent, as evidenced by the unemployment, poverty and crime rates, along with the prevalence of vacant housing after 1970. Consequently, the existence of multiple risk factors exist within our community has increased the probability of youth and young adults engaging in underage drinking. Limited protective factors also exist within this community. Regarding clinical characteristics, the percentage of unique treatment clients with a primary diagnosis of alcohol use disorder in SFY 2022 was 15.5% (Ohio MHAS Community Behavioral Health Claims Data, January 2024), and Behavioral Health Data Group/State Epidemiology Outcomes Workgroup (Ohio MHAS) data for Mahoning County indicates during the year 2021, that 42.9% of traffic fatalities involved alcohol-impaired drivers, and that 3.2% of crashes were caused by alcohol-impaired drivers. Program goals are to (1) identify, establish, and implement relevant evidenced-based community approaches that will expand and increase the coalition's ability to address underage drinking in the community, including underserved communities, and (2) enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination at the city, county, and state level to reduce alcohol use among youth and young adults. Regarding measurable objectives and strategies/interventions, the Project will implement specific activities that comprise CADCA's Seven Strategies for Community Change, and the CSAP Prevention Strategies to reduce underage drinking (i.e. implementing the Talk, They Hear You campaign, providing information at community events, conducting town hall meetings on underage drinking, providing drug free alternative activities for youth, facilitating policy change initiatives with school systems regarding underage drinking school policy). Objectives will be measured to ascertain the level of correct change respective to: (1) Past 30-day use of alcohol, (2) Perception of risk or harm from alcohol use, (3) Perception of parental disapproval of alcohol use, and (4) Perception of peer disapproval of alcohol use. Additionally, measurable numerical totals for all Project objectives are specified in Section B of the
