Project Grant NH28CE003422

SOMERS COMES TOGETHER COALITION DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES GRANT - THE TOWN OF SOMERS, ON BEHALF OF THE SOMERS COMES TOGETHER (SCT) COALITION, SEEKS TO ADDRESS AND ULTIMATELY PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE THROUGH THE DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES GRANT, FOCUSING ON PREVENTION OF YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE IN SOMERS, CONNECTICUT. SOMERS, LOCATED IN TOLLAND COUNTY, IS A COMMUNITY WITH A POPULATION OF 11,0005 WITH A LONG HISTORY AS AN AGRICULTURAL AND MILL COMMUNITY. THERE IS A LACK OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SOMERS, INCLUDING NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RESULTING IN INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO CARE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION. ALMOST A QUARTER OF SOMERS FAMILIES ARE FACING ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES THAT LEADS TO INCREASED STRESS AND RISK FACTORS IN THE HOME. A PRIMARY POPULATION OF FOCUS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE "SOMERSVILLE" SECTION OF TOWN, WHERE THERE IS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY. THIS SECTION OF TOWN IS WHERE THE OLD MILLS ARE LOCATED THAT WAS ONCE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR WORKERS PICKING TOBACCO IN THE FIELDS. THE COMMUNITY HAS VERY LIMITED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND HAS RELIED ON VERY LITTLE FUNDING AND NO DEDICATED STAFFING TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONCERTED, EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. DUE TO THESE LIMITED RESOURCES AND MINIMAL SERVICES FOR YOUTH OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF STUDENTS USING SUBSTANCES WITH PEERS DURING THEIR UNOCCUPIED TIME. YOUTH MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE ARE THE PRIMARY SUBSTANCES OF CONCERN IN SOMERS. STUDENT SUBSTANCE USE DATA FROM THE 2017 ERASE STUDENT SURVEY, SHOWS THAT PAST 30-DAY ALCOHOL USE WAS HIGHER (17.9%) IN SOMERS THAN THE REGIONAL RATE (15.6%). THIS REMAINS TRUE FOR PAST-MONTH BINGE DRINKING RATES (10.2%, 8.2% RESPECTIVELY). STUDENTS GRADE 9-12 MOST FREQUENTLY RESPONDED THAT IT IS "VERY" OR "SORT OF" EASY TO OBTAIN ALCOHOL (68.1%) AND MARIJUANA (58.5%). THERE ARE MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES LOCATED RIGHT OVER THE BORDER FROM THE TOWN OF SOMERS INTO MASSACHUSETTS, AS CLOSE AS 14 MILES AWAY. DURING THE CASE INVESTIGATIONS OF YOUTH CAUGHT WITH MARIJUANA, THE JUVENILE REVIEW BOARD DISCOVERED THAT THE MARIJUANA IS FREQUENTLY OBTAINED FROM A DISPENSARY EITHER FROM A DEALER OR THE YOUTH'S PARENTS. EASE OF ACCESS TO MARIJUANA IS ALREADY A RISK FACTOR THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN SOMERS, WHICH WILL ONLY BE HEIGHTENED FURTHER AS CONNECTICUT ROLLS OUT ITS OWN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES EXPECTED LATER THIS YEAR. MENTAL HEALTH TRANSPORTS HAVE MOSTLY INCREASED EACH YEAR ACROSS THE AGE GROUPS. OVERDOSE TRANSPORTS INCREASED AMONGST TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS IN 2020, POSSIBLY DUE TO ISOLATION AND STRESS BROUGHT ON BY THE PANDEMIC. THE MISSION OF SCT IS TO REDUCE AND PREVENT SUBSTANCE USE AMONG YOUTH AND ADULTS BY COLLABORATING WITH THE SOMERS COMMUNITY TO INCREASE AWARENESS, PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT YOUTH AND ADULTS TO ENGAGE IN HEALTHY ACTIVITIES. WITH THE DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES FUNDING, SCT WILL USE THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK TO COLLABORATE WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT PREVENTION STRATEGIES. SCT WILL FOCUS ITS OBJECTIVES ON REDUCING THE PAST 30-DAY USE OF ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA AS EVIDENCED ON ITS BI-ANNUAL STUDENT USE SURVEY. THE COALITION WILL ACHIEVE ITS GOALS BY IMPLEMENTING THESE STRATEGIES: 1) BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF THE SOMERS COMES TOGETHER COALITION TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, 2) DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS TARGETING YOUTH AND THEIR PARENTS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL NORMS ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE, 3) ENHANCE THE SKILLS OF PARENTS IN SOMERS TO SUPPORT SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION AND IMPROVE PROTECTIVE FACTORS, 4) PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO ENGAGE IN HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES, 5) IMPLEMENT ALCOHOL COMPLIANCE CHECKS AT RETAILS IN SOMERS TO REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL, AND 6) WORK WITH TOWN OFFICIALS TO MODIFY POLICIES TO ENHANCE PROTECTION AGAINST YOUTH MARIJUANA USE.