Growing Strong, Staying Focused: Working to Prevent Underage Drinking in North River - North River Prevention Partners (NRPP) has worked to reduce substance use and misuse in the North River communities of Manatee County, Florida since 2015. Through Growing Strong, Staying Focused, NRPP will build on proven coalition capacity to prevent and reduce underage alcohol use among youth and young adults ages 12 to 20. As a 2019 Drug-Free Communities grantee and prior STOP Act recipient, NRPP will leverage strong partnerships to positively impact community norms, increase awareness and enforcement of existing laws, reduce youth access and availability, and strengthen protective factors that support healthy youth development. During the pandemic, NRPP used the Strategic Prevention Framework to identify underage drinking as a significant concern in northern Manatee County and build prevention capacity through partnership development, strategic planning, community education, youth leadership, and evaluation. This approach was strengthened through NRPP's 2022 STOP Act award. During the four-year project cycle, NRPP documented a 24.3% reduction in 30-day alcohol use among youth and a 49.25% reduction in binge drinking. Peer perception of harm and self-perception of harm increased by 3.13% and 5.33%, respectively, while parental perception of harm decreased by 0.3%, demonstrating the continued need for parent-focused education and engagement. Proposed activities include expanding alternative-to-ATOD activities and Know the Law, increasing the number and scope of Let’s Talk town hall events, expanding Parents Who Host, Lose the Most and SAMHSA’s Talk. They Hear You.® media campaigns, and enhancing the North River Youth Coalition through youth-led prevention messaging on social media and streaming platforms. NRPP will also convene community feedback meetings, strengthen intergovernmental and cross-sector coordination, work with local prevention programs to identify gaps and avoid duplication, develop a project logic model, and implement a 12-month action plan within the required project period. NRPP serves more than 52,000 residents, primarily in ZIP codes 34219, 34220, 34221, and 34222, including Palmetto, Parrish, Ellenton, Rubonia, and surrounding North River communities. The rapidly growing catchment area includes public schools, charter schools, youth-serving organizations, families, and community systems that need sustained prevention capacity, expanded parent engagement, youth-led prevention messaging, and coordinated strategies to reduce underage drinking. Project goals are to reduce 30-day alcohol use among youth ages 12 to 20, increase perceived peer and parental disapproval, strengthen community collaboration, and expand the reach of evidence-based, evidence-informed, and community-defined prevention strategies. NRPP will track required STOP Act measures, including past 30-day alcohol use, perception of risk or harm, parental disapproval, and peer disapproval for at least three grade levels, along with SPARS performance measures, coalition records, training participation, media reach, social media analytics, event participation, and partner feedback. By the end of the project period, NRPP will reduce 30-day youth alcohol use by 5%, increase perceived peer disapproval by 3%, and increase perceived parental disapproval by 3% from 2024 FYSAS Manatee County baselines. Growing Strong, Staying Focused aligns with SAMHSA’s strategic priority of preventing substance use and misuse by using evidence-supported prevention strategies to build social connectedness, strengthen families, increase community cohesion, and support healthier outcomes for youth and families in North River.
