Project Grant H79SP081100

ABC WILL WORK TO ADDRESS UNDERAGE DRINKING IN MEADE COUNTY AMONG YOUTH AGES 12-20 BY INCREASING COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES. - MEADE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA (3,483 SQ MILES) IS THE THIRD LARGEST COUNTY IN LAND SIZE IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS A COMBINATION OF LOW POPULATION DENSITY, HIGH AGRIBUSINESS EMPLOYMENT, AND LOW PAYING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT, PERSISTENT CHALLENGES IN THE IDENTIFIED ABC STOP ACT TARGET AREA. ALTHOUGH THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR MEADE COUNTY ($59,563) IS ABOVE THE STATE ($56,871), THE PER-CAPITA INCOME FOR MEADE COUNTY ($26,896) RESIDENCE IS BELOW THE STATE ($28,761) DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF FAMILIES LIVING IN MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS AND/OR MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLINGS. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (3.1), IS ALSO HIGHER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE OF 2.8%. STURGIS IS HOME TO THE FAMOUS STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY. THIS ANNUAL GATHERING OF ROUGHLY 500,000 BIKERS, BRINGS A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES. HIGH ON THIS LIST IS UNDERAGE DRINKING. WHILE THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY OFFICIALLY RUNS ONLY TEN DAYS EACH YEAR, IT BRINGS MANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS TO THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS AN INCREASE IN SUBSTANCE AVAILABILITY AND DRUG USE; EXPOSURE TO PUBLIC INTOXICATION; EXPOSURE TO NUDITY AND OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUTH. MANY OF THESE EFFECTS STAY LONG AFTER THE RALLY HAS ENDED. IN A 2018 REPORT FROM THE STURGIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE 23 ON-OR-OFF-SALE ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND AN ADDITIONAL 12 OFF-SALE-ONLY ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE POPULATION OF STURGIS, SD IS 6,620 OR ONE ESTABLISHMENT FOR EVERY 189 PEOPLE, WHERE AS SOUTH DAKOTA HAS 1 LIQUOR STORE PER 11,111 RESIDENTS ACCORDING TO THE SEOW REPORT. THE GOALS OF THE COALITION ARE: (1) INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE LOCAL COALITION TO REDUCE HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS OF STUDENTS THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE, THROUGH COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AMONG CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE AGENCIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS; AND (2) REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH AGES 12-20. THE COALITION WILL WORK TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS BOTH THE RETAIL AND SOCIAL ACCESS OF ALCOHOL BY YOUTH AGES (12-20).