Project Grant NH28CE003298

SAY NO KNOW WHY EXPANSION 11, COALITION WILL IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN PREVENTING ABUSE/MISUSE AND FUTURE USE OF OPIOIDS; PRESCRIPTION PILLS, AND OTHER ILLEGAL DRUGS BY YOUTH AGES 12- 18. - THE GRAND BOULEVARD COALITION (GBC), REPRESENTING THE GRAND BOULEVARD 77TH COMMUNITY AREA OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS IS IN ITS 8TH YEAR OF PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. IN 2018, 2020 AND IN RESPONSE TO FINDINGS OF THE 2018 ILLINOIS YOUTH SURVEY DATA, YOUTH FOCUS GROUPS AND COMMUNITY INQUIRIES, COALITION SECTOR PARTNERS DECIDED TO EXPAND THE COALITION RESPONSE TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-WIDE ACTION PLAN TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF OPIOID AND ILLEGAL USE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AMONG YOUTH, IN GRAND BOULEVARD COMMUNITY AREA, A PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THE COALITION HAS CREATED SAY NO AND KNOW WHY 11 (SNAKW11) TO:?ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF ESTABLISHED AND NEW SECTOR PARTNERS TO CREATE COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE REGARDING OPIOIDS AND ILLEGAL USE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND THE ABUSE OF MEDICATIONS. ?STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION AMONG LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ACTION COMMITTEES AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO REDUCE THE USE OF OPIOIDS AND THE ABUSE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS AMONG YOUTH WITHIN THE AREA SERVED BY THE COALITION. ?ENHANCE SECTOR PARTNER STRATEGIC PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF EFFORT ON THE ISSUE OF OPIOIDS AND THE ABUSE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AMONG YOUTH. THE COALITION AIMS TO IMPLEMENT A FOCUSED STRATEGIC PLAN TO ADDRESS THE ABUSE OF OPIOIDS TO INCLUDE PRESCRIPTION PILLS, OVER THE COUNTER, AND OTHER ILLEGAL DRUGS TO PREVENT USE, AND LATER SUBSTANCE ADDICTION IN YOUTH AGES 12-18 THAT LIVE, WORK, PLAY, AND WORSHIP IN CHICAGO?S GRAND BOULEVARD COMMUNITY OVER A 3-YEAR PERIOD. THE COALITION INTENDS TO PREVENT RISKY BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE, AND SYSTEMATICALLY INCREASE EDUCATION AND PREVENTION AWARENESS INFORMATION THROUGHOUT GRAND BOULEVARD TO DETER YOUTH FROM USING THE SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES TO GET HIGH. THE COALITION WILL ENHANCE AND EXPAND ITS CURRENT EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES THAT WILL PREVENT OPIOID AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTH. BY JUNE 2022 THE GBC ?SNAKW 11? PROJECT WILL INC REASE COALITION MEMBERSHIP BY 25%, DECREASE YOUTH USE OF ILLEGAL PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND OPIOIDS BY 3% AND INCREASE DISSEMINATION OF PREVENTION INFORMATION. WORK WILL FOCUS ON EACH OF THE DFC CORE MEASURES AS MEASURED BY THE ILLINOIS YOUTH SURVEY. THESE MEASURES ARE 1) PAST 30-DAY USE, 2) PERCEPTION OF RISK OR HARM; 3) PERCEPTION OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL OF USE; AND 4) PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL OF US.