Guard: guiding underage alcohol risk reduction - TRY coalition's stop act initiative - guard: guiding underage alcohol risk reduction is a four-year samhsa stop act project led by TRY coalition to…

Guard: guiding underage alcohol risk reduction - TRY coalition's stop act initiative - guard: guiding underage alcohol risk reduction is a four-year samhsa stop act project led by TRY coalition to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth ages 12 to 20 in durham city and county, north carolina. Building on 25 years of coalition experience, guard builds TRY's first alcohol-specific prevention capacity across schools, retailers, law enforcement, and families. Geographic area and capacity development needed: the project will be implemented across durham city and county ZIP codes 27701, 27703, 27704, 27707, 27709, and 27713, an area of approximately 181,700 residents. TRY's dedicated alcohol-specific prevention capacity lapsed when its drug-free communities award concluded in 2022. Guard will rebuild this capacity through a formal youth advisory structure, a new alcohol-specific local survey instrument, and expanded good neighbor business network retailer training within TRY's existing 650-plus-member retail network. Population of focus: youth and young adults ages 12 to 20 residing in the catchment area, with documented early onset of use (16% of durham middle school students report having had a drink beyond a few sips; 13.8% of high school students report a first drink by age 13) and elevated risk within the 18-20 college-age cohort. Population to be served: in addition to capacity building, guard directly serves youth through peer-led education (at least 100 youth by day 120, growing to at least 25 lift members serving as trained health ambassadors by year 2) and impaired-driving prevention programming (500 youth ages 16-20 by year 2). This is a universal prevention population; no clinical diagnosis, referral, or eligibility screening is required for participation. Strategies and interventions: youth advisory CO-creation through lift (ages 12-17) and college TRY (ages 18-20); a locally adapted talk. They hear you. Campaign; good neighbor business network rasp responsible beverage service training; the talk IT up. Lock IT up. Home-access initiative and safe homes pledge; joint law enforcement and ABC enforcement planning; good samaritan law (G.S. 90-96.2) education; trauma-informed training for youth-serving adults; and alcohol-free youth events. Project goals: (1) address norms regarding underage alcohol use; (2) reduce opportunities for underage drinking; (3) create changes in underage drinking enforcement efforts; (4) address penalties for underage use; (5) reduce negative consequences associated with underage drinking, including alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes. Measurable objectives: reach 1,000 youth and 500 parents/caregivers with alcohol prevention messaging by september 2027; train 50 good neighbor business network retailers in rasp by september 2027; decrease by 10% the proportion of surveyed high schoolers who report obtaining alcohol from another person by september 2028; convene 2 joint law enforcement/ABC planning meetings by september 2027; and reach 500 youth ages 16-20 with impaired-driving prevention programming by september 2028.