Project Abstract Summary (Community Overview)
The Healthy King Philip Substance Use Prevention (Healthy KP) Coalition was formed to address the youth substance use in the King Philip Regional School District, which includes the towns of Wrentham, Norfolk and Plainville. Norfolk is 15 square miles, Plainville is 11 square miles and Wrentham is 22 square miles. The three communities are located approximately 20 miles south of Boston MA. Although the towns are located only 20 miles from Boston, it would take over an hour to get to the city as there are no major routes to the towns. The perception of students indicates that they feel that there isn’t a lot to do in these rural communities. Overall, the community would be considered suburban with some areas of the towns even being considered as rural. Median annual household income for the three towns $107,823.00.
The King Philip Regional Public Schools serve the students in grades 7-12 from the 3 towns. The 2019-2020 district student enrollment is 2024, of which 2.9% of students is Asian, 2.0% African American, 3.2% Hispanic, .1% Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islander, 89.3% White, and 2.4% Multi Race, Non-Hispanic. The community at large is 93% White, Non Hispanic and less than 3% of households are below the Federal Poverty level. The cost of living is significantly higher than much of the country.
Sports and after school clubs are a big part of community culture, with the majority of teens identifying they participate in one or more sports or clubs. The high school is known for winning several state championships over the last 10 years, including softball, boys swimming, girls track and field, and football. The towns are located close to Foxborough, which houses Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots. There is a strong relationship in the community with alcohol and football. Located in Plainville is Plainridge Park & Casino, and in Wrentham, a large retail outlet mall. Many of the local pubs and package stores sponsor youth sports teams.
In 2008, a teen from the school district was involved in a serious car accident due to intoxication of alcohol and was severely brain damaged. In 2009, another teen from the school district drowned in a swamp after attending an underage drinking party. In 2016, a graduate of King Philip High School passed away from a heroin overdose. His parents have since opened a sober house in the community for up to 22 young men. Other events that have had an impact on youth substance use is the recent commercialization of marijuana. Young people believe that marijuana is safer than alcohol, and parents often believe the same. Youth in the district have been found selling marijuana edibles at school, and distributing high THC vaping products they were able to obtain from a legal dispensary.
The Healthy KP Substance Use Prevention project aims to reduce substance use and abuse among youth and support the healthy substance-free lifestyles through collaborative community engagement in youth leadership, education, training, policy and support. With Drug Free Communities funding, the coalition plans to build capacity for substance use prevention and reduce youth access and availability to substances.
