Action for the betterment of the community of butte county (ABC-BC) coalition's priority is underage drinking by youth ages 12-18 and illegal use of marijuana in butte county SD. - action for the…

Action for the betterment of the community of butte county (ABC-BC) coalition's priority is underage drinking by youth ages 12-18 and illegal use of marijuana in butte county SD. - action for the betterment of our community of butte county (ABC-BC) was originally founded in 2010, as the belle fourche community coalition, with the goal of reducing underage drinking, substance abuse, and violence. Butte county, sits on highway 85, which is a major highway through the midwest. With a combination of low population density, low-paying employment opportunities, high agribusiness employment, butte county's estimated population for 2023 is 10,774. Due to the growth, the community needs have changed and the community has seen an increase in the areas of youth substance use and a lack of prevention programing available to the community. According to the most recent census data, the median household income in butte county is below the state average at $49,353 (south dakota $59,896). According to the county health rankings, butte county has 21% of the youth living in single parent households. According to the 2019 kids count factbook, butte county has 47% free and reduced lunch population in its schools, the state average is 40% including reservations. With a rate of 4.6% unemployment in butte county most residents travel an average of 23.7 minutes to work, (the state average is 16.9 minutes). The high school graduation rate for butte county is only 88.3%. Only 27% of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher. This is roughly 5% to 10% less than butte county's two neighboring counties. Butte county borders a university town, where the cost of living is quite higher than in butte county. The business sector, as well as the school and civic organizations, understand the necessity for prevention activities in the community and have expressed a desire to sustain efforts toward evidence-based programming that will make a difference. The community is fortunate to have numerous parents and families who are supportive of prevention efforts. The goals of the coalition are: (1) increase community collaboration; and (2) reduce youth substance use the coalition will achieve its goals by implementing these strategies: (1) expand membership to provide opportunities for leadership development from each of the 12 sectors. (2) maintain coalition involvement in prevention programming with continued education and mentoring of new and existing coalition members. (3) educate the community on the retail access to alcohol by minors. (4) increase youth's knowledge and skills to make healthier decisions related to substance use and abuse. (5) increase the youth's motivation and skills to set and monitor multiple health behavior goals by providing brief integrated interventions to young people and families in the community. (6) reduce access and enhance barriers to the social access of alcohol to minors. (7) enforce laws contributing to the illegal use of marijuana and driving under the influence of marijuana.