Stop act of angelina county - the stop act of angelina county project will enhance the capacity of the coalition, INC

To reduce underage drinking in angelina county, texas by 1) changing community norms regarding alcohol use by youth and young adults, 2) reducing opportunities for alcohol use among youth and young adults, and through 3) improved data collection of alcohol use patterns and the alcohol retail environment. Using the strategic prevention framework to guide and monitor the process, the coalition will combine multiple evidence-based practices to increase community collaboration and leverage the power of coalition members to change norms and perceptions that lead to dangerous consequences due to underage drinking. Covering 797 square miles of land, angelina county is located deep within the piney woods of east texas and has a current population of 86,506 (2021 U.S. Census). The county is rural with several small communities, no urban cities and about a quarter of the population under the age of 18 (25.6%). The area consists of 6 school districts, one charter school and one community college. The primary population of focus for the coalition's stop act project will be youth (ages 12-18). Current alcohol use rates and low perceived risk rates indicate a need for greater prevention services for youth and young adults (texas school survey of drug & alcohol use, region 5, 2022). In addition, youth do not perceive that their parents disapprove of alcohol as compared to marijuana, tobacco and other drugs (texas school survey of drug & alcohol use, region 5, 2022). Youth in angelina county are not currently served through any alcohol or drug prevention program at a population level. Parents, community leaders, government officials and other essential stakeholders will be important to foster a community-wide, long-term commitment to the prevention and reduction of underage alcohol use. Through the stop act project, the coalition will change community norms regarding alcohol use by youth through increased information dissemination and by implementing a community-wide social norms campaign on the harms of underage drinking and the importance of parental influence. By september 2028, these strategies will increase the perceived risk of alcohol use by youth and young adults by 3% and increase the percentage of youth who feel that their parents somewhat/strongly disapprove of alcohol use by 3%. Opportunities for underage drinking will be reduced through the promotion of enhanced alcohol policies to restrict access. Past 30-day alcohol use will be reduced by 3% for youth and young adults by september 2028. The stop act project will improve data collection on alcohol use patterns and the availability of alcohol by annually presenting the benefits of participation in surveys to the local school districts, and through completion of a biennial environmental scan and annual GIS map of the alcohol retail environment in angelina county. Town hall meetings will be scheduled in angelina county communities for public feedback on underage drinking. The stop act project will reach approximately 2,500 youth in the first year and 10,000 youth over the lifetime of the project. And, although adults are not the primary population of focus, IT is anticipated that approximately 10,000 adults will be reached in the first year and 50,000 adults reached by the end of the project through information dissemination and the social norms campaign.