Hialeah Community Coalition Inc, Drug Free Community Coalition - Abstract: HCC is a proven community coalition, committed to the issue of reducing alcohol use among youth in Hialeah through a variety of initiatives aimed at creating a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of substance abuse and provides appropriate support and resources for those in need. They have received DFC funding Year 1-5 since 2018 to support their work. Despite concerted efforts, the climate on youth substance use in Hialeah is distressing. Critical contributing factors for substance use among children and adolescents in Hialeah are (1) easy access through social/familial channels and licensed retailers (2) social acceptance, (3) low level of enforcement /surveillance, and (4) lack of adequate alcohol/drug laws and policies. Over the past decade Past 30-Day Alcohol Use has steadily declined in Miami-Dade Co. However, there was a noticeable uptick in 2020 when the rate increased from 15.5% in 2018 to 17.0%. The corresponding Hialeah alcohol consumption rate increased in the most recent two years surveyed from 13.8% to 15%, and currently sits slightly lower than county peers (14%) at 13.4%. Despite overall reductions in alcohol use, concern is still warranted around problematic use; binge drinking rates remain alarming among high school students with 10.8% of M-DC students reporting blacking out from drinking. For Hialeah youth Past 30-Day Marijuana Use is also decreasing, but remains an extremely pressing issue; at 9.0% it is significantly higher than the county and state rates (at 6.6% and 8.3% respectively). Hialeah youth prescription drug consumption is equal to that for county youth at 2.2%, but two times higher for Past 30- Day Methamphetamine and Heroin Use, underscoring the importance of ongoing monitoring and interventions focused on illicit drugs. Continued efforts aim to further leverage current coalition activities by expanding past traditional activities focused on retail access and protective legislation and into the realm of the cultural habits driving current alcohol trends. The Coalition serves the City of Hialeah, Fl., a community of 220,490 people. The goals of the coalition are to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use. The coalition will achieve its goals by implementing best practice strategies to reduce youth use of alcohol, marijuana and misuse of prescription drugs/risk of fentanyl. Objectives include changing community norms favorable to youth substance use and increasing parental disapproval and peer disapproval of substance use. Activities will target reducing youth access to substances through family and friends and enhancing community awareness of youth substance use and engagement in solutions. Special activities include environmental scans, youth peer-to-peer messaging, Youth Dialogue Days, Drug Take Back Day, Talk They Hear You, Youth Mental Health First Aid training, Mystery Shopper surveillance, and collaboration with the local HIDTA and DEA. HCC uses the science-based Strategic Prevention Framework to achieve population change. Focusing on issues of social access and enhanced community education, awareness, and engagement on youth substance use the Coalition will utilize the tailored, trusted, and evidence-based interventions and strategies on which the coalition already has an existing baseline of expertise, results, and success.
