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Engaging Communities In Substance Use Prevention
Alcohol Abuse Prevention Team - AAPT
The Need
The Alcohol Abuse Prevention Team (AAPT) of CCNTR formed as professionals from schools, health organizations, social services, the legal profession, and individuals recognized that youth in the Twin Rivers were engaging in high-risk behaviors, including alcohol and drug use. Substance abuse by adolescents has been shown to lead to social and developmental difficulties, and is linked to other risky behaviors like reckless driving and truancy. The Alcohol Abuse Prevention Team made its primary goal the reduction of substance use and abuse among underage youth and young adults, by developing programming to support healthy choices.
AAPT seeks to reduce substance use and abuse among youth in CCNTR communities and to establish and strengthen coalition among the communities, non-profit agencies and federal, state and local governments. AAPT has recieved funding and support from the Capital Region Community Prevention Coalition (CRCPC).
The CRCPC, a group of individuals and organizations from numerous sectors of twenty-eight communities in greater Merrimack County, was formed in 2007 as part of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) initiative of the State of New HampshireÌs Department of Health and Human Services (NH-DHHS). The goals of the CRCPC include:
(1) To prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse, including underage drinking and binge drinking among youth (12-17 yrs.) and young adults (18-44 yrs.).
(2) To reduce substance abuse related problems in the community.
(3) To build prevention capacity and infrastructure at the community level.
The CRCPC has selected the following contributing factors to address through the implementation of evidence based strategies and activities:
The community and societal norms that glamorize and normalize alcohol use and impact underage drinking in our communities;
The lack of knowledge and perception of the risk of consequences associated with underage alcohol use in our communities;
The notion that binge drinking is a normal and accepted behavior among young adults in our communities.
Actions
Prevention Team members talked to law enforcement officials, school personnel, business people, citizens, and youth to identify the greatest needs and likely solutions for Twin Rivers communities. A community-wide planning process defined three areas suitable for the priorities of the CRCPC region and the CCNTR member communities recieved funding through September 2010 working in the Franklin/Hill CRCPC sub-region on these strategies and Evidence-Based Activies:
COALITION BUILDING - Capacity-Building (outreach activites, trainings, etc), One-on-One community interviews, Monthly Coalition Meetings.
MEDIA LITERACY - Training Faciliators, Outreach/Planning, Training Youth to Analyze and Evaluate Media Messages, Youth Create and Produce Media Messages.
ENFORCEMENT OF ALCOHOL RELATED LAWS AND POLICES - Work with Local Coalitions to Build Support for Enforcement, Conduct Compliance Checks, Conduct Targeted Enforcement Activities, Conduct Party Patrols, Enforce the Social host Liability Law, Publicize Enforcement Activities.
Recently, AAPT joined the Franklin Mayor‘s Drug Abuse Task Force to broaden the partnership and develop other prevention and substance use strategies and evidence-based activities. The next meeting will take place on May 13 from 6-8pm at the Franklin Regional Hospital Conference Rooms A & B. For more information please contact the Franklin City Manager at City Hall.
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