Project Grant H79SP084399

MILFORD COMMUNITY ALCOHOL PREVENTION PROJECT - BUILDING UPON A LONG RECORD OF SUCCESSFUL ALCOHOL PREVENTION PROGRAMMING, THE MILFORD COMMUNITY ALCOHOL PREVENTION PROJECT WILL FORGE CONNECTIONS WITH NEW GROUPS OF YOUTH AND ADULTS WHO REFLECT CHANGING COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS; ENGAGE THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN COALITION ACTIVITIES MORE FULLY THAN AT PRESENT; AND SUSTAIN COALITION CAPACITY AND PROGRAMMING NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A STRONG PREVENTION PROGRAM. SCHOOLS OF FOCUS SERVE 1,644 STUDENTS. MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, IS A CITY OF 51,000 LOCATED IN THE GREATER NEW HAVEN AREA OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT, WITH A POPULATION ABOUT 17% MINORITY AND PER CAPITA INCOME LESS THAN $60,000. OUR TARGET SCHOOL POPULATIONS ARE LARGELY LOW INCOME, WITH A MINORITY RACIAL/ETHNIC POPULATION WHICH HAS NEARLY DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS. SOME CURRENT MEASURES OF ALCOHOL USE FOR GRADES 7, 9, 11 GRADERS IN MILFORD AS A WHOLE INCLUDE: EASY ACCESS TO ALCOHOL 40%; PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL (OF "DRINKING ONE OR TWO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NEARLY EVERY DAY") 80% (ONLY 69% FOR 11TH GRADERS), AND PERCEPTION OF HARM ONLY 67%. THE FIRST PROJECT GOAL IS TO INCREASE COALITION CAPACITY BY MEANS OF QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS BY YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDING BLACK, HISPANIC, AND LGTBQ YOUTH, AT COALITION MEETINGS (OBJECTIVE 1.1); RECRUITING AT LEAST ONE YOUTH AND ONE MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY TO BECOME MPC MEMBERS TO PROVIDE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INITIATIVES (1.2); TRAINING COALITION MEMBERS THROUGH CADCA, PTTC, AND SPTAC, AS WELL AS LOCAL SUPPORTIVE AGENCIES (1.3); AND NEGOTIATING AN ALLOCATION OF REVENUE FROM NIP BOTTLE DEPOSITS TO YOUTH PREVENTION ACTIVITIES WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT (1.4). THE SECOND GOAL IS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO TARGET POPULATIONS BY MEANS OF AT LEAST TWO VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS PER YEAR, ONE LED BY YOUTH (2.1); REACHING OUT TO MINORITY YOUTH GROUPS IN TARGET SCHOOLS, INCLUDING HISPANIC, BLACK, AND LGBTQ+ STUDENT GROUPS, TO LEARN WHAT PROGRAMMING WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE AND TO SECURE COLLABORATION ON JOINT ACTIVITIES (2.2); COLLABORATING WITH MILFORD SCHOOLS TO HOST TWO SPRING SPEAKERS - ONE FOR STUDENT ATHLETES AND ONE BEFORE PROM AND GRADUATION (2.3); HOSTING AT LEAST TWO IN-PERSON INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS FOR PARENTS/ADULTS ON TOPICS RELATED TO UNDERAGE DRINKING, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE IN SPANISH (2.4); ORDER COMMUNITY BILLBOARDS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON SOCIAL HOST AND SOCIAL NORMS ON UNDERAGE DRINKING. THE THIRD GOAL IS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING AMONG MILFORD YOUTH BY LIMITING UNDERAGE ACCESS TO ALCOHOL, TO BE ACHIEVED BY HOSTING AN ANNUAL ALCOHOL RETAILER FORUM IN THE SPRING (3.1); PROVIDING TIPS TRAINING TO 100 SELLERS OF ALCOHOL, PRIORITIZING LOW INCOME OR MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS IN MILFORD (3.2); PROVIDING LOCAL LIQUOR RETAILERS WITH ENGLISH AND SPANISH RETAIL GUIDES WITH THE LAWS AND GUIDANCE FOR PREVENTION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING (3.3); AND COLLABORATING WITH MILFORD POLICE TO RENEW IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ANNUAL SCHEDULE OF COMPLIANCE CHECKS ON ALCOHOL MERCHANTS (3.4). THESE MEASURES WILL PARTICULARLY BENEFIT LOW INCOME AND MINORITY YOUTH, SINCE LOWER INCOME AND MINORITY YOUTH EXPERIENCE DISPROPORTIONATELY GREATER EXPOSURE TO ALCOHOL MARKETING. OBJECTIVE 3.4 IS A REDUCTION IN THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH WHO REPORT EASY ACCESS TO ALCOHOL. THESE PROGRAMS WILL TARGET ALL YOUTH AT THREE MILFORD MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, TOTALING 1,644 STUDENTS PER YEAR AND 3,288 UNDUPLICATED STUDENTS OVER THE TERM OF THE GRANT. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO SERVE THE FAMILIES OF THESE STUDENTS AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING IN THE COMMUNITY.