C U R B I N G. Underage Drinking & Substance Abuse in Connecticut. Fostering Healthy Choices and Changing Norms

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Claire Andrews
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Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse i Coecticut Fosterig Healthy Choices ad Chagig Norms Uderage drikig ad substace abuse cotiue to be a major threat to youth i Coecticut.

Uderage drikig has bee associated with serious health ad safety cosequeces. At the most extreme, it has bee implicated as a leadig cotributor of death from ijuries amog the atio s youth.

such as falls, burs ad drowigs. It ca also play a role i risky sexual behavior ad acts of physical or sexual assault (for example, alcohol-related rape or serious itetioal or uitetioal ijury).

(most ofte sedatives, stimulats ad pai relievers). For more tha a decade, The Goveror s Prevetio Partership has bee helpig commuities across the state curb uderage drikig ad substace abuse.

1 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse i Coecticut Fosterig Healthy Choices ad Chagig Norms Uderage drikig ad substace abuse cotiue to be a major threat to youth i Coecticut. For some, drikig alcohol is see as a ievitable rite of passage ito adulthood. But doig so at a early age is far from harmless. Uderage drikig has bee associated with serious health ad safety cosequeces. At the most extreme, it has bee implicated as a leadig cotributor of death from ijuries amog the atio s youth. The Natioal Istitute o Alcohol Abuse ad Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that 5,000 people uder age 21 die each year from alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoig ad other ijuries such as falls, burs ad drowigs. It ca also play a role i risky sexual behavior ad acts of physical or sexual assault (for example, alcohol-related rape or serious itetioal or uitetioal ijury). Although alcohol remais the most popular drug of choice, youg people i Coecticut also use other substaces icludig tobacco, illicit drugs ad prescriptio medicatios that were ot prescribed to them (most ofte sedatives, stimulats ad pai relievers). For more tha a decade, The Goveror s Prevetio Partership has bee helpig commuities across the state curb uderage drikig ad substace abuse. The Partership has also bee istrumetal i raisig awareess of the associated dagers. The goal is to keep our youth safe, successful ad drug free (CSHS, 2011). All told, uderage drikig is a factor i more tha two millio harmful evets each year; ot oly icludig car crashes ad alcohol poisoigs, but also violece, uiteded pregacies, sexually trasmitted diseases ad property damage (PIRE, 2006). As with all of its prevetio programs, The Partership takes a comprehesive, collaborative ad commuity-based approach. As a result, it reaches ad egages key stakeholders to implemet sustaiable ad prove prevetio strategies. The Partership also advocates for effective policies ad eforcemet at the state ad local levels (ex. raisig sales tax o alcohol), as well as customized techical assistace ad tools to help protect CT s youth ad ecourage commuities to take actio. I additio, the orgaizatio gives studets the tools ad kowledge they eed to resist peer pressure ad educate others that they are ot aloe i their choice to say o to alcohol or other substaces. The Goveror s Prevetio Partership is helpig commuities across Coecticut curb uderage drikig ad substace abuse to keep our youth safe, successful ad drug free. Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut 1

Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut The Problem At a Glace Despite the 21-year-old miimum drikig age ad zero-tolerace laws that make it illegal to drive after havig ay amout of alcohol, tees

2 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut The Problem At a Glace Despite the 21-year-old miimum drikig age ad zero-tolerace laws that make it illegal to drive after havig ay amout of alcohol, tees cotiue to egage i this behavior. I fact, tees tur to alcohol more ofte tha tobacco or other drugs. Alarmigly, these days may start drikig for the first time aroud 13 years of age. This is particularly cocerig because those who start drikig before 15 years of age are reportedly five times more likely to develop alcohol depedece or abuse at some poit i their lives compared to those who begi drikig at age 21 or later (Higso RW, Heere T, Witer MR, 2006). Also disturbig is that fact that tees ted to cosume more driks i oe sittig tha adult drikers (Boie ad O Coell, 2004). While the rate of uderage drikig atioally had declied recetly, this tred seems to be reversig, uderscorig the eed for greater prevetio efforts ad awareess. I Coecticut, the picture is particularly grim. Youth i our state drik at higher rates tha their peers atioally. Ad kids who drik are also more likely tha those who abstai from alcohol to experimet with or abuse other substaces like marijuaa, prescriptio drugs such as pai relievers, stimulats ad sedatives, ad eve dabble i sythetic products to get high (for example, bath salts, sythetic caabioids like K2 ad Spice, etc.). Recet data shows that oe i four tees has misused or abused a prescriptio drug at least oce i their lifetime a 33 percet icrease sice 2008 (PATS, 2012). May falsely believe these medicatios are safe but they ca be very harmful, eve deadly, whe take by the wrog perso ad at the wrog dose. The Goveror s Prevetio Partership is a go-to resource for iformatio ad tried-ad-true prevetio strategies to help lower the rates of drikig ad substace abuse amog twees ad tees i Coecticut. The Partership supports a comprehesive, evidece-based prevetio approach to promote healthy ad successful youth developmet, while reducig uderage drikig ad substace abuse overall. Cosequeces of Uderage Drikig Pre-tees ad tees who drik alcohol are more likely to have or report: Problems at school (for example, frequet abseces, poor or fallig grades) Fights with peers Withdrawal from or ot takig part i youth activities/team sports Health issues such as hagovers, illesses, memory problems or disruptio of ormal growth ad sexual developmet Uwated, uplaed, ad uprotected sexual activity Alcohol-related car crashes ad other uitetioal ijuries, such as burs, falls, ad drowig Physical or sexual assault Legal issues (beig arrested for drivig or physically hurtig someoe while druk) Future alcohol depedece ad abuse of other drugs Drikig at a youg age also results i higher tha expected visits to the emergecy departmet, a icreased likelihood of suicide ad other risky behaviors ad premature death. Evolvig research also suggests that excessive drikig ca spark chages i brai developmet that may have life-log effects. (DHHS, 2007; Boie ad O Coell, 2004) 2 Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut

Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut A Sapshot of Uderage Alcohol & Substace Abuse I Coecticut Drikig rates amog Coecticut high school studets are 26-28 percet higher tha their peers atioally

3 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut A Sapshot of Uderage Alcohol & Substace Abuse I Coecticut Drikig rates amog Coecticut high school studets are percet higher tha their peers atioally ad 15 percet say they drak alcohol (more tha a few sips) for the first time before they tured 13 years old 2 i 5 high school studets report usig marijuaa oe or more times i their life 1 out of 4 studets has bee offered, sold or give a illegal drug o school property i the past year 1 out of 10 tees admit to havig take a prescriptio drug that was ot iteded for them i order to get high New sythetic drugs are of icreasig cocer ad are illegally sold i some gas statios (Scooby Sax) ad o the streets (2C-P, ad Molly) (CSHS, 2011; Johsto et al, 2013) The Problem To set the record straight ad cotrary to what may people might thik most teeagers do ot egage i uderage drikig. That s the good ews. But those who do ca place themselves ad others i jeopardy. A recet survey of high school studets revealed that i the previous moth (Eato et al, 2012): Two out of five (39 percet) drak some amout of alcohol Oe i five (22 percet) bige drak (defied as drikig five or more alcoholic driks o oe occasio) Oe i four (24 percet) rode i a car with someoe who had bee drikig Chagig the perceptio that everyoe is doig it is a importat piece of the prevetio puzzle. Accordig to the NIH Iitiative o Uderage Drikig Research, there are several factors that ca ifluece whether a teeager decides to use or abuse alcohol (NIAAA, 2013). Prevetio Works The Role of the Goveror s Prevetio Partership The Goveror s Prevetio Partership has bee a steady force i helpig to reduce uderage drikig ad substace abuse. Its efforts are grouded i ad guided by a overall philosophy that promotes comprehesive prevetio strategies to keep kids safe, successful ad drug free. Reducig uderage drikig requires a combiatio of commuity-based programs ad shared accoutability, paret ad tee educatio, eforcemet of miimum legal drikig age laws, alcohol excise taxes, ad other coordiated approaches. Normal maturatioal chages that all adolescets experiece Geetic, psychological, ad social factors specific to each adolescet ad Various social ad cultural eviromets that surroud adolescets, icludig their families, schools, ad commuities Drikig before age 21 is also associated with illicit drug use. While prevetio of uderage drikig ofte starts at home, it also requires coordiated commuity support, youth egagemet, eforcemet ad cultural shifts. That s where The Partership comes i. Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut 3

Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut % of those checked that served to miors Buildig Commuity Capacity to Make a Differece The Partership collaborates with ad mobilizes Regioal Actio Coucils

I this way, commuities ca idetify eeds ad develop iovative solutios to address uderage drikig ad substace abuse.

4 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut % of those checked that served to miors Buildig Commuity Capacity to Make a Differece The Partership collaborates with ad mobilizes Regioal Actio Coucils (RACs) ad Local Prevetio Coucils (LPCs) to implemet prove commuity-level prevetio strategies. I this way, commuities ca idetify eeds ad develop iovative solutios to address uderage drikig ad substace abuse. Drivig Alcohol Compliace Checks Targetig a Key Source Compliace checks have bee a importat strategy to help curb uderage drikig i Coecticut by reducig illegal retail access to alcohol. Because of this program, more merchats are refusig to serve tees tha ever before. Through this coordiated program, law eforcemet ca determie whether package stores, grocery stores, bars, restaurats ad ay other establishmets with a liquor licese are sellig alcohol to miors. The Partership has bee istrumetal i facilitatig alcohol compliace checks across the state by workig i collaboratio with the Departmet of Cosumer Protectio s Liquor Cotrol Divisio ad local police officers ad by traiig miors to coduct regular stig operatios to try to purchase alcohol from various busiesses. It has also helped iform commuities about which places have bee ocompliat, illegally servig miors. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 Compliace Checks Make a Differece Source: The Goveror's Prevetio Partership data Stratford Efield Glastobury The Partership educates local commuity groups to take actio to reduce the use of: Uderage drikig Marijuaa Prescriptio drugs Sythetic drugs Compliace checks have had a major impact. Whe the program was iitiated i 2003, a surprisig umber of establishmets i the state illegally served miors. A decade later, data reveal a dramatic shift with some tows reportig full compliace. The program had bee fuded by the Office of Policy ad Maagemet. Alterate sources of fudig are urgetly eeded to cotiue this program (see chart below). Buildig Youth Leadership The Partership serves as the statewide coordiator for Studets Agaist Destructive Decisios (SADD) a atioal peer-to-peer educatio, prevetio, ad activism orgaizatio dedicated to prevetig destructive decisios, particularly uderage drikig, other drug use, risky ad impaired drivig, tee violece, ad tee suicide. This has provided a effective way to egage tees ad commuicate prevetio messages. There are 70 active chapters i schools across the state. Awareess programmig reaches over 55,000 studets ad may more teachers, parets ad commuity members. The Partership also coects chapters with vital commuity resources ad tailors prevetio messages to their particular school eviromet. Projects may iclude peer-led classes ad themed forums, tee workshops, cofereces ad rallies, prevetio educatio ad leadership traiig ad other activities ad legislative work. The Partership also provides educatio directly to tees ad schools. Iteractive presetatios also teach refusal skills ad provide poiters for havig difficult coversatios. 4 Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut

Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut Equippig Commuities ad Youth- Directed Orgaizatios with Prove Prevetio Strategies The Partership provides ogoig assistace to 33 state ad federally fuded

It also helps to ehace the capacity ad skills buildig for established ad ew CT-based coalitios ad commuity stakeholders.

5 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut Equippig Commuities ad Youth- Directed Orgaizatios with Prove Prevetio Strategies The Partership provides ogoig assistace to 33 state ad federally fuded commuity coalitios across the state, uder the Departmet of Metal Health ad Addictio Services (DMHAS) Best Practice Iitiative. It also helps to ehace the capacity ad skills buildig for established ad ew CT-based coalitios ad commuity stakeholders. Partership staff atted coalitio meetigs to serve as a resource, offer guidace ad assist i implemetig best practices ad program evaluatio. Efforts focus o sustaiability ad to help orgaizatios fid fudig opportuities to cotiue drug free programmig. As the state affiliate of The Partership at Drugfree.org, The Partership also offers PACT360, a customizable commuity educatio program to raise awareess about the sigs of drug ad alcohol use ad how to take actio. Coecticut is oe of three states atioally to pilot this ew program. Educatig Parets ad Cocered Adults Too ofte, parets thik their child is t drikig or usig other substaces. The trouble is o matter how mature or well-adjusted a teeager seems, or how ofte he or she has made wise choices i the past, the pressures to drik are very real. Tees are also more likely to drik as they advace through high school, ad particularly durig the trasitio to college. Moreover, research shows that all tees are missig a importat trait a fully developed brai. The level of brai developmet eeded to make soud judgmets, especially related to risk takig, impulse cotrol ad aticipatig cosequeces, does t mature util our mid-20s. So, this issue should be a cocer for all parets ad all commuities. The Partership has several programs to educate parets about uderage alcohol ad drug use. Its published hadbook, A Paret s Guide to Prevetig Uderage Drikig, presets up-to-date iformatio, helps dispel myths ad maps out prevetio strategies ad how to support ope commuicatio ad expectatios with tees. Eve well-itetioed kids may ot have the maturity to do the safe thig all of the time, especially whe they are i eviromets that seem to ivite risky behavior. But whe parets talk with their kids about the dagers of substace abuse, they are up to half as likely to use drugs ad alcohol. The Partership educates parets ad offers useful tips to make the tough coversatios easier (Drugfree.org). Our associatio with The Partership is a key compoet to the work we do to keep kids safe i our commuity. West Hartford Substace Abuse Prevetio Commisio Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut 5

6 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut Stayig I the Kow Law eforcemet, parets, school officials ad other commuity leaders ofte struggle to keep up with ad address the availability of ew sythetic drugs i their commuities. The Partership s drug abuse prevetio experts moitor the latest research ad treds, puttig themselves ahead of the actio. Iformatio from this ogoig surveillace of ad respose to emergig treds (for example, bath salts, had saitizer misuse, explaiig the impact of marijuaa laws, sythetic drugs, ad salvia) is preseted through highly aticipated ad iformative reports ad traiigs. These traiigs also iclude hads-o demostratios of products ad use video depictios of actual use. The Partership also stays o top of the latest legislative activity, ofte developig fact sheets ad other otices to iform coalitios, SADD Chapters ad other parters about hearigs ad state campaigs. Our legislative advocacy toolkit provides step-by-step istructios ad isider iformatio about the process, so that studet groups ad commuity coalitios ca participate i the law-makig process. Buildig Mometum The Partership is ofte see as the first respoder to emergig treds related to uderage drikig ad substace abuse i Coecticut. New threats are everchagig. To keep pace with chagig behaviors ad substaces abused, The Partership closely moitors tee activity through olie resources, ews media reports ad other surveillace tools. Through its extesive etwork of parters, collaborative spirit ad related prevetio programmig, The Partership has bee able to promote healthy youth developmet. Youth empowermet is critical to this success egagig tees to be part of the solutio ad equip their peers with refusal skills ad safe alteratives. Kowig first-had the value of providig youth leadership opportuities, The Partership is committed to expadig its youth empowermet programs ad addressig other behaviors that relate to uderage drikig ad substace abuse (for example, metal health, tee safe drivig ad youth welless i geeral). Of course all of these efforts are depedet o available fudig. For more iformatio, or to led your support ad help curb uderage drikig ad substace abuse i Coecticut, please visit Our goal is to provide commuities, parets ad educators with the best resources to reduce the impact of substace abuse, empower youg people to live successful lives, ad ecourage commuities to reflect positive lifestyles. The Goveror's Prevetio Partership The Goveror s Prevetio Partership is a vital resource to help reduce uderage drikig ad substace abuse. It also helps commuities stay ahead of the curve by reportig emergig treds that may threate tee health. 6 Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut

7 Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut The Goveror s Prevetio Partership believes i a collaborative, multi-tiered approach to substace abuse prevetio. Much of its work i this area advaces key recommedatios set forth by the Natioal Istitutes of Health ad the Substace Abuse ad Metal Health Services Admiistratio, which idetifies the followig six goals for reducig uderage drikig: 1. Foster chages i society that facilitate healthy adolescet developmet ad that help prevet ad reduce uderage drikig. 2. Egage parets, schools, commuities, all levels of govermet, all social systems that iterface with youth, ad youth themselves i a coordiated atioal effort to prevet ad reduce uderage drikig ad its cosequeces. 3. Promote a uderstadig of uderage alcohol cosumptio i the cotext of huma developmet ad maturatio that takes ito accout idividual adolescet characteristics as well as evirometal, ethic, cultural, ad geder differeces. 4. Coduct additioal research o adolescet alcohol use ad its relatioship to developmet. 5. Work to improve public health surveillace o uderage drikig ad o populatio-based risk factors for this behavior. 6. Work to esure that policies at all levels are cosistet with the atioal goal of prevetig ad reducig uderage alcohol cosumptio. Refereces Boie RJ ad O Coell ME, editors. Natioal Research Coucil ad Istitute of Medicie, Reducig Uderage Drikig: A Collective Resposibility. Committee o Developig a Strategy to Reduce ad Prevet Uderage Drikig. Divisio of Behavioral ad Social Scieces ad Educatio. Washigto, DC: The Natioal Academies Press, Coecticut School Health Survey (CSHS), Youth Behavior Compoet. The State of Coecticut Departmet of Public Health Released Available at Eato DK, Ka L, Kiche SA, et al. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillace Uited States, CDC Morb Mort Surveil Summ 2012;61(SS-04): Higso RW, Heere T, Witer MR. Age at drikig oset ad alcohol depedece: age at oset, duratio, ad severity. Pediatrics 2006;160: The Goveror s Prevetio Partership. A Paret s Guide to Prevetig Uderage Drikig. (2010) Available at Johsto, LD, O Malley, PM, Bachma, JG, & Schuleberg, JE (2013). Moitorig the future atioal results o adolescet drug use: Overview of key fidigs, A Arbor, MI: Istitute for Social Research, the Uiversity of Michiga. Natioal Istitute o Alcohol Abuse ad Alcoholism (NIAAA). Uderage Drikig Fact Sheet. Last updated March 29,2013. Available at Pacific Istitute for Research ad Evaluatio (PIRE). (2006.) The Partership Attitude Trackig Study (PATS). (2012) The Partership at a Drugfree.org. Available at: U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services. The Surgeo Geeral's Call to Actio to Prevet ad Reduce Uderage Drikig. Rockville, MD: U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services; Curbig Uderage Drikig & Substace Abuse I Coecticut 7

8 About The Goveror s Prevetio Partership With a focus o Coecticut s youth, The Goveror s Prevetio Partership is a statewide public-private alliace, buildig a strog, healthy future workforce through leadership i metorig ad prevetio of violece, uderage drikig, alcohol ad drug abuse. 30 Jorda Lae, Wethersfield, CT (860)

WRAP'S YOUTH GUIDE. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program s (WRAP) 2017 School Resource Guide to Preventing Underage Drinking

WRAP'S YOUTH GUIDE. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program s (WRAP) 2017 School Resource Guide to Preventing Underage Drinking WRAP'S 7 YOUTH GUIDE The Washigto Regioal Alcohol Program s (WRAP) 7 School Resource Guide to Prevetig Uderage Drikig Washigto Regioal Alcohol Program Sposored by Table of Cotets I 5,,886 5--year-old drivers