Stop underaged drinking - the kalamazoo county substance abuse task force (kcsatf) is seeking a $60,000 sober truth on preventing underage drinking grant (stop act) through the department of human…

Stop underaged drinking - the kalamazoo county substance abuse task force (kcsatf) is seeking a $60,000 sober truth on preventing underage drinking grant (stop act) through the department of human services and the substance abuse and mental health services administration. The coalition services kalamazoo county, michigan, a county composed of both urban and rural areas with a population of 262,985. The strategies funded through this application will focus on youth and community members in census tracts that have high alcohol outlet density. This subpopulation also has higher crime and poverty rates as well as a higher number of minority residents as compared to the county. Kcsatf also places a strong emphasis on services and priorities to diverse populations that have been underserved and historically under-resourced with increased focus on black, hispanic/latinx and lgbtqi+ youth. Services provided in neighborhoods where kalamazoo youth are at greatest risk for dangerous and life-threatening behavior. Kcsatf works with participants who live in the city of kalamazoo (41% below alice- asset, limited income constrained, employee, 2021), particularly youth living in families who live below the alice threshold. Participants who reside in the areas of kalamazoo with the highest poverty levels are often at much greater risk for social-emotional health issues and substance use disorder, and therefore at the greatest need for services. Kcsatf uses approaches aimed to improve wellbeing through high quality programs, practices, and policies that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based to improve behavioral health. The coalition has built a solid infrastructure, and this grant will enhance our current capacity with the vision of decreasing underage drinking in our community by specifically addressing youth access to alcohol, peer influence and social norms related to alcohol. The coalition has the following goals for this project: (1) increase and strengthen collaboration with underserved and historically under-resourced to prevent and reduce substance use among youth (2) reduce underage drinking and youth substance use by mitigating community risk factors and strengthening protective factors for youth (3) increase youth perception of peer and parental disapproval of substance use. The coalition will achieve its goals by implementing several activities. A few examples include: facilitating a youth-driven planning process resulting underage drinking campaign; implement alcohol vendor education and compliance checks in risk areas, implement a project sticker shock campaign to increase adult awareness of the legal consequences of purchasing alcohol for minors; provide training and skill building activities for parents, schools and other youth-serving organizations; host a several town hall meeting on underage drinking; and enhance skills and provide support to task force staff and the youth leadership team. All of these strategies are essential for creating population-based change.