Collaborating to stop underage alcohol use - the collaborating for youth drug free communities coalition will effectively reduce underage and youth alcohol use through evidence-based and best…

Collaborating to stop underage alcohol use - the collaborating for youth drug free communities coalition will effectively reduce underage and youth alcohol use through evidence-based and best practices in prevention. PA youth survey (2021) and monitoring the future (2021) data reflect the startling impact of community norms, laws, and other risks to youth indicating that our rural, south central PA communities are nearly 10% higher than national rates for regular (30-day) alcohol use. Strategies aligned within the strategic prevention framework and as recommended in stop guidelines will shift perceptions of harm, acceptability and accessibility that were detrimentally impacted over the course of covid-19 and were historically trending upwards in our region. Specific attention to linguistically appropriate, culturally engaged and appropriate measures in partnership with our latinx community coalition members in LA communidad will support engagement and decision making by the populations we seek to serve. This stop grant project comes at a critical time in our community's successfully sustained DFC history. Through multi-sector engagement and thoughtful, collaborative change measures we seek to reduce, prevent, and eliminate youth alcohol use in adams county, pennsylvania. As home to the historic gettysburg battlefield with a 3.1 million visitation rate to our local communities annually, this stop grant project has an impact beyond our local population as an example of drug free communities efforts and underage alcohol prevention at a national level.