Decatur Prevention Initiative Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) - The Decatur Prevention Initiative (DPI) is seeking to become a recipient of the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA), offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to address a local drug crisis in the City of Decatur. DPI proposed to focus on youth use of opioids and methamphetamines and the misuse of prescription drugs. Data show that the local rates of use of these drugs among our youth are significantly higher than the national rates reported in the Monitoring the Future publication. While it is a very low number of youth who engage in this type of drug use, the outcomes of even one use can be fatal, due to the dangerous additives in the drug supply (i.e., Fentanyl). Recipients of these grants must have a history of being a recipient of the prestigious Drug Free Coalition grant, funded through the Executive Office of the White House, Office of National Drug Control Policy. DPI has been a recipient of these funds for the past seven years. The DFC project’s primary focus is on alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana, which are often the substances of first misuse. The DPI Coalition serves the City of Decatur, Georgia, a community with over 24,000 residents. DPI's vision is a community free of the negative effects of substance misuse on youth and families. Our mission is to transform the community by addressing the root causes of youth substance misuse while identifying and coordinating local resources to implement evidence-based strategies systematically. DPI has provided quality prevention services in Decatur since 1991. The coalition was formed in 2011 and has been growing steadily to include a full complement of community sectors. Our members include organizations and members with a wide sphere of influence who can bring about change. The goals of this grant are two-fold: 1) Reduce and prevent the use of opioids, methamphetamines, and the misuse of prescription drugs among youth ages 9-18, and 2) Change the culture and the context regarding the acceptability of opioid and methamphetamine use and prescription drug misuse. DPI will achieve these goals by using the Strategic Prevention Framework and implementing a full range of strategies that have been shown to drive community-level change. These will include providing information, enhancing skills, providing support, enhancing access/reducing barriers, changing consequences, physical design, and modifying/changing policies and procedures. DPI has been conducting needs assessments since 2011, using local, up-to-date qualitative and quantitative data. The most recent assessment has guided the action plan for this proposal, identifying both root causes and local conditions. Some of the root causes of local youth substance use have been determined to be Access and Availability, Favorable Attitudes toward Drug Use, Low Perception of Risk (consequences) for using these substances, and Low Perception of Peer and Parental Disapproval. The coalition has determined through longitudinal assessments that Decatur is a community ready for change, and this grant will provide the opportunity to expand our efforts and successfully implement our action plan, while continuing to sustain our DFC activities. New programs will be offered in the schools and in the community, with an eye to building awareness of youth substance abuse, how to delay the onset, and how to deal with a potential drug overdose. The community has shown its support for our past efforts through countless hours of volunteer service and the dedication of local resources to positively impact the health of our youth. Decatur can bring about community-level change through the combined efforts of our sector members and the community, and prevent the needless loss of young lives.
