Cape assist's stop act - stop act funding will provide the capacity for cape may county healthy community coalition to address new realities of underage drinking in cape may county: youth using…

Cape assist's stop act - stop act funding will provide the capacity for cape may county healthy community coalition to address new realities of underage drinking in cape may county: youth using alcohol to cope with covid; laws limiting police to impose sanctions on youth for underage drinking; and parental and adult much needed accountability and understanding of liabilities dealing with youth's underage drinking in a tourist community. The 2022 pride survey results require a call to action in addressing underage drinking since covid 19 began. Other trending drug use issues, such as marijuana legalization, prescription drug misuse and heroin and fentanyl have also increased; yet for youth, alcohol remains the overwhelming drug of choice. As data show, most people that use and TRY other drugs begin with drinking underage drinking. There is an urgent need to reduce underage drinking now through adult accountability where IT now lacks for youth, who are quickly becoming aware of police's tied hands from a toothless legislation impeding their ability to act with legal consequence. The goals of this program are to: decrease underage alcohol use among cape may county high school students by reinforcing penalties to adults who serve alcohol to underage youth; reduce alcohol access to cape may county high school students by working with businesses that sell and serve alcohol; and to decrease alcohol use in cape may county by implementing evidence-based programs within the county school districts that address alcohol misuse with alternatives to suspension.