River Valley Rising STOP Act to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking - The River Valley Rising STOP Act Project will reduce alcohol use and binge drinking among youth and young adults ages 12-20 across nine towns in the River Valley Region of Western Maine through evidence-based community prevention strategies. The project will strengthen the capacity of local coalitions, schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, businesses, parents, and community organizations to prevent underage drinking by changing community norms, reducing youth access to alcohol, and increasing community engagement. These coordinated efforts will strengthen prevention infrastructure, foster sustainable community-level change, and reduce the health and social consequences associated with underage alcohol use. Project goals are to reduce underage alcohol use and binge drinking, increase community capacity to implement evidence-based prevention strategies, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and promote healthy community norms that discourage underage alcohol use. The project addresses an identified need for increased community prevention capacity in this predominantly rural region, where underage alcohol use remains a significant public health concern. Capacity development efforts will strengthen local prevention infrastructure by enhancing collaboration among community partners, expanding evidence-based prevention programming, improving community readiness, and increasing the ability of local organizations to implement, evaluate, and sustain effective alcohol prevention initiatives. The primary population benefiting from these capacity-building efforts is youth and young adults ages 12-20 living within the nine-town service area. Families, schools, and the broader community will also benefit through stronger prevention systems and healthier environments that discourage underage alcohol use. The River Valley Rising STOP Act Project is a primary prevention initiative and does not provide clinical treatment services. Prevention strategies will include strengthening community partnerships; conducting public education and awareness campaigns; promoting responsible beverage service, retailer compliance, and social host education; supporting enforcement of underage drinking laws; reducing youth access to alcohol through environmental prevention strategies; engaging youth in prevention leadership activities; and using local data to guide planning, implementation, and continuous quality improvement. The coalition will strengthen the knowledge and skills of community partners through training, technical assistance, and coordinated planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of prevention efforts. Measurable objectives include: (1) increasing community participation in prevention initiatives and coalition activities by at least 20 percent over the project period; (2) increasing the number of community sectors actively implementing evidence-based alcohol prevention strategies; (3) increasing awareness among youth, parents, and community members of the risks associated with underage alcohol use and binge drinking through annual education campaigns and surveys; (4) increasing retailer compliance and community support for policies and practices that reduce youth access to alcohol; and (5) reducing past 30-day alcohol use and binge drinking among youth ages 12-20, as measured through local and state survey data. These objectives align with SAMHSA's strategic priorities by advancing prevention, strengthening community resilience, promoting health equity in rural communities, and improving behavioral health outcomes through sustainable, community-based prevention efforts.
