Project Grant H79SP083435

THE CITY OF DOVER, NH'S DOVER COALITION FOR YOUTH STOP ACT GRANT - THE DOVER COALITION FOR YOUTH (DCFY) IS A COMMUNITY-BASED DRUG AND ALCOHOL COALITION FOUNDED IN 1993. THE DCFY'S STOP ACT GRANT PROJECT WILL PREVENT AND REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 12-20 BY STRENGTHENING OUR PREVENTION PROGRAMMING IN THE COMMUNITY, RAISE THE PERCEPTION OF HARM OF UNDERAGE AND HIGH RISK DRINKING BY YOUTH, INTEGRATE TAILORED PREVENTION PROGRAMMING TO HIGH RISK POPULATIONS, AND ENHANCE LIQUOR LICENSEE OVERSIGHT AND COLLABORATION. THE CITY OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 33,000 PEOPLE AND IS THE FIFTH LARGEST AND THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITY IN THE STATE. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS GRANT WILL BE THOSE AGED 12-20 THAT LIVE AND GO TO SCHOOL IN DOVER, UNH COLLEGE STUDENTS LIVING IN DOVER, AND PARENTS OF ANY OF THESE STUDENTS WHEREVER THEY RESIDE. THE DOVER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS 4,200 STUDENTS ENROLLED. ENGLISH IS PREDOMINANTLY SPOKEN AMONG THE TARGET STUDENT POPULATION AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, 7.4% OF STUDENTS LIVE IN A HOME WHERE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IS SPOKEN. THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE INCLUDES 83% OF THE STUDENT BODY REPORT BEING WHITE, 12% REPORT AS ASIAN AND 7% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN. ALSO, 18% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+. WE EXPECT TO IMPACT 1,400 PEOPLE ANNUALLY. OVER THE LIFE OF THE GRANT WE EXPECT TO IMPACT OVER 5,000-6,000 PEOPLE. THE FIRST GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO INCREASE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF THE DOVER COALITION FOR YOUTH TO STRENGTHEN PREVENTION PROGRAMMING IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE UNDERAGE AND HIGH RISK DRINKING AMONG YOUTH 12-20 YEARS OLD. STRATEGIES TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL WILL INCLUDE GROWING OUR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT TEAM, PROVIDING COMMUNITY TRAINING, AND EXPANDING OUR COALITION. BY 9/29/26, WE PLAN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN THE COALITION'S YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM BY 30% AND THE OVERALL MEMBERSHIP OF THE COALITION BY 20% ACCORDING TO MEMBERSHIP RECORDS AND HOST 3 TRAININGS PER YEAR AS MEASURED BY ACTIVITY LOGS. THE SECOND GOAL IS TO RAISE THE PERCEPTION OF HARM OF UNDERAGE AND HIGH-RISK DRINKING BY HIGHLIGHTING THE SCIENCE OF ALCOHOL'S IMPACT ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND ADDRESSING EMERGING PRODUCTS THAT POSE A RISK OF INCREASING UNDERAGE DRINKING. STRATEGIES INCLUDE EDUCATING OUR YOUTH ON THE BRAIN SCIENCE AND HARM ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY ONSET OF DRINKING AS WELL AS FOCUSING ON NEW PRODUCTS THAT TARGET YOUTH AND POSE A RISK FOR INCREASED UNDERAGE. BY 9/29/26, WE PLAN TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS REPORTING A PERCEPTION OF GREAT RISK OF UNDERAGE DRINKING FROM 30.2% TO 45% AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AS MEASURED BY THE YRBS. THE THIRD GOAL IS TO INTEGRATE TAILORED PREVENTION PROGRAMMING FOR HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY. STRATEGIES WILL INCLUDE EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ON ACES, SUPPORTING THE ACERT AND INTEGRATING HEALTH EQUITY COMPONENTS AND INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE INTO OUR MESSAGING. BY 9/29/26, WE PLAN TO INCREASE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING TARGETING HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS AS MEASURED BY ACTIVITY LOGS AND DECREASE THE RATE OF ALCOHOL USE AMONG THE SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITY POPULATION FROM 2.4 TIMES HIGHER THAN THEIR PEERS TO 1.5 TIMES AS MEASURED BY THE YRBS. THE FOURTH GOAL IS TO ENHANCE LIQUOR LICENSEE OVERSIGHT AND COLLABORATION TO REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL. STRATEGIES WILL INCLUDE COMPLIANCE CHECKS, PROVIDING TRAINING TO LIQUOR LICENSEES AND MEDIA DESIGNED TO DISCOURAGE PARENTS FROM HOSTING UNDERAGE DRINKING PARTIES. BY 9/29/26 WE PLAN TO INCREASE THE PERCENT OF BUSINESSES PASSING COMPLIANCE CHECKS FROM 69% TO ABOVE 90% AS MEASURED BY POLICE DATA AND DECREASE THE PERCENT OF STUDENTS REPORTING THAT ALCOHOL IS "VERY EASY" TO GET FROM 30.8% TO 24% AS MEASURED BY THE YRBS