Drug-free communities - ST. Joseph youth alliance is applying on behalf on the youth alliance partners for prevention coalition for the CDC's drug free communities support program: new (year 1)…

Drug-free communities - ST. Joseph youth alliance is applying on behalf on the youth alliance partners for prevention coalition for the CDC's drug free communities support program: new (year 1) grant award. The purpose of this project is to address alcohol and tobacco/nicotine use amongst the youth population in ST. Joseph, missouri. The coalition will focus on both middle and high school youth (ages 12-18) and general environmental strategies that will impact all of ST. Joseph. The mission of the youth alliance partners for prevention coalition is "to unite community partners to develop and implement strategies that challenge societal norms and prevent and reduce youth substance use." the coalition will work in cooperation with existing community sectors to decrease risk factors such as lack of resources and prosocial activities and increase protective factors through youth engagement to reduce substance use among youth. The coalition will utilize an evidence-based curriculum called beyond drugs, alcohol, and vaping in tandem with promising practices such as youth coalitions, quality after-school programming, and youth-led local initiatives. ST. Joseph's total population is approximately 72,198 people, with 22.2% (approximately 16,061) being under the age of 18 (U.S. Census, 2018-2022). The city is the county seat of buchanan county in northwest missouri. ST. Joseph has one school district (ST. Joseph school district) which serves approximately 10,255 students according to 2023 data from the missouri department of elementary and secondary education. The school district is more racially diverse compared to state averages: over 33% of students identify as other than white, compared to a 31.5% statewide average. Additionally, 11.5% of ST. Joseph school district students are hispanic, higher than the state average (8%; MO department of elementary and secondary education, 2023). Compared to state and national averages, income levels in ST. Joseph are lower, poverty rates are higher, uninsured rates are higher, unemployment is higher, overall education status is lower, and the percentage of children receiving free or reduced-price lunch is higher. According to a campaign for tobacco free kids report, populations with lower incomes, lower education completion rates, and lower-status occupations have higher rates of tobacco use. Goals of the project are: 1) increase community collaboration: establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use and misuse among youth; and 2) reduce youth substance use and misuse: reduce substance use and misuse among youth and, over time, reduce substance use and misuse among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance use and misuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance use and misuse. Long-term outcomes (3-10 years) include: 1) decrease youth nicotine use by 7% from 15.5% in 2022 to 14.4% in 2029 as measured by 6-12TH graders reporting "use of electronic cigarettes in last 30 days" on the missouri student survey. 2) decrease youth alcohol use by 7% from 10.6% in 2022 to 9.9% in 2029 as measured by 6-12TH graders reporting "use of alcohol in last 30 days" on the missouri student survey.