Youth Prevention Programs

The following success stories feature city and statewide programs that target all ages from kindergartners to college-aged youth. All of the programs provide examples of creative, collaborative projects that focus on improving the safety of and reducing the risks facing youth.

Alabama
Huntsville City Schools Youth Programs

• Program Characteristics: Targets hard-to-reach/at-risk populations
• Project Areas: Youth Programs
• Type of Jurisdiction: City
• Targeted Population(s): Students Grades K-12
• Jurisdiction Size: 159,789
• Funding: Section 402, $23,275; Local, $23,275
• Contact:

  Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

  401 Adams Avenue

  Suite 580

  Montgomery, AL 36103

  Phone: (334) 242-5879

Problem Identification

In reviewing traffic safety data for the city, the Huntsville, AL Director of Highway Safety noticed an increase in the number of pedestrian, bicycle, and other traffic-related injuries and fatalities that involved children. He discovered that several children had been injured or killed walking or bicycling from school each year. He also determined that between 1 and 3 fatalities per year occurred among teens who were driving while impaired.

Goals and Objectives

The goals of the Huntsville City Schools program were to save lives and reduce the incidence of injuries to youth in Huntsville. Specific objectives included:

• Increasing awareness among Huntsville�s student population about the dangers of impaired driving, the risks associated with not using safety belts, the importance of knowing the rules of the road, and the facts relating to pedestrian and bicycle safety; and

• Reducing traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities among school children, teachers, parents, and others through participation in community traffic safety programs and awareness activities.

Strategies and Activities

To address the safety concerns of the Huntsville students, the Huntsville local school system, in cooperation with the Office of Highway Safety, hired an Alcohol/Highway Safety Instructor. Her responsibility was to educate students and improve awareness of highway safety issues in the Huntsville City public schools. The Huntsville Alcohol/Highway Safety Instructor presented highway safety programs to all classes. During the year, the instructor also worked with all eighth grade students for two days to teach them about alcohol and highway safety issues. She arranged bike rodeos and helmet giveaways for needy families, and provided helmets at a reduced price for students.

To create greater community awareness of traffic safety issues, kindergarten classes made giant cookies with safety belt messages and delivered them to businesses where their parents were employed.

The instructor also worked with peer helping groups (school clubs and civic organizations), crossing guards, the local Community Traffic Safety Program (CTSP), SAFE KIDS, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Boys and Girls Clubs, and Think First to promote traffic safety to students and the community throughout the school year.

Results

Prior to the program, several students were injured and killed in alcohol-related crashes. Within the last 6 years, no students have been injured or killed in alcohol-related crashes. Bicycle helmet use has increased from 0 to 45 percent, and the number of bicycle riding fatalities has decreased to 0. The safety belt use rate among students and parents has increased from 45 to 87 percent during the last several years.

California
Bicycle Safety Education Program

• Program Characteristics: Targets hard-to-reach/ at-risk population
• Project Areas: Bicycle Safety
• Type of Jurisdiction: County
• Targeted Population(s): Youth
• Jurisdiction Size: 62,300
• Funding: Section 402, $32,850; local, $5,839
• Contact:

  Health Program Assistant

  Yolo County Health Department

  6000 Lindhurst Avenue

  #601B

  Marysville, CA 95901

  Phone: (916) 741-6366

Problem Identification
Yolo County, CA, is a small, predominantly urban county located about 40 miles north of Sacramento. The county has a high unemployment rate, and a high percentage of the population lives below the poverty level. In 1994, Yolo County Health Department staff conducted surveys of bicycle helmet use at 11 of Yolo County�s elementary and intermediate schools. The surveys were also conducted with children under age 14 in 2 of Yolo County�s residential areas. Helmet use at the schools varied from 0 to 83 percent. Use in the residential areas averaged 9 percent. The surveys indicated that fewer than 1 in 3 children riding their bicycles to school was wearing a helmet, and only 1 in 11 children was wearing a helmet while riding in their neighborhoods. The primary reason parents gave for their children not wearing helmets was the cost of the helmet. One parent stated that she could buy a used bicycle for her child for less than the cost of a helmet.

Goals and Objectives

The Bicycle Safety Education Program was developed to increase bicycle helmet use by Yolo County children, thus preventing fatalities and injuries. The program�s objectives included:

• Conducting 12 bicycle safety workshops each year;

• Promoting bicycle safety in Yolo County schools; and

• Increasing public awareness of bicycle safety and the importance of bicycle helmets in preventing head injuries.

Strategies and Activities

The Yolo County Health Department implemented the Bicycle Safety Education Program using strategies and activities that focused on elementary school youth and their parents. Safety presentations were given in the classroom and during community meetings, and bicycle rodeos were held for the students in order to enforce the importance of bicycle safety. Forty-two community presentations were held, including several workshops for non-English speaking parents. Seven workshops were held in Spanish, and five workshops were held in Hmong, an Asian dialect.

The Health Department formed partnerships with civic organizations, law enforcement professionals, the local fire department, and the news media. Program events were advertised in articles in the local newspapers, promoted in organization newsletters, and aired on local radio. The program sponsored bicycle rodeos and other activities at 19 community events and conducted 2 bicycle safety essay contests in local elementary schools. During these events, 545 bicycle helmets were provided to children in low-income households and 42 bicycle safety workshops were given.

Results

As a result of the heightened awareness in the community concerning bicycle safety, all 11 elementary schools in Yolo County implemented a bicycle helmet policy. Follow-up surveys showed an overall increase of 26 percentage points in helmet use around school sites (31 percent in 1994 versus 57 percent in 1997). Helmet surveys conducted at residential sites indicated an increase of 34 percentage points during the same period. The average numbers of bicycle injuries resulting from traffic crashes decreased for children under 18 years old, from 18 in 1994 to 12.5 in 1997.

Indiana

Facing Alcohol Challenges Together (FACT)

• Program Characteristics: Cooperative Prevention/Intervention Effort
• Project Areas: Alcohol and Other Drugs, Youth Programs
• Type of Jurisdiction: County
• Targeted Population(s): Youth ages 10 to 17
• Jurisdiction Size: 1.2 million
• Funding: Section 402, $60,000 yearly average; local, $82,094
• Contact:

  Alcohol Program Coordinator

  Methodist Hospital of Indiana

  P.O. Box 1367

  I-65 at 21st Street

  Indianapolis, IN 46206-1367

  Phone: (317) 929-2300

Problem Identification

Each year over 500 youth are arrested in Marion County for alcohol-related illegal behavior. Methodist Hospital had a court-mandated adult alcohol awareness program, but increasing numbers of 16-year-olds were being referred to the program. Methodist Hospital was asked by the Superior Court Juvenile Division and the Governor�s Council on Highway Safety to develop a program specifically for these teens.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the FACT program was to reduce the number of incidents of alcohol use and abuse in high-risk youth who, through recidivism, already demonstrated a propensity for trouble. To do this, the program sought to change both adolescents� and parents� attitudes and behaviors toward alcohol use and its consequences. The arrest rate and recidivism rate of FACT program participants were measured against those who had not completed the program to determine the program�s effectiveness. The hope was that the current recidivism rate of 16 percent would drop to 12 percent in the first year.

Strategies and Activities

The program began in December 1994. The steering committee included a trauma nurse, the alcohol program coordinator from Methodist Hospital, a Superior Court Juvenile Division judge, a Superior Court Juvenile Division staff member, and a psychologist. The program was 9 hours long, held in 2 sessions on 2 consecutive days (from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). This gave participants time to process information between sessions. The court ordered teens and their parents to attend.

On the first day of the program, parents and teens were encouraged to participate in interactive games that increased their knowledge of basic alcohol facts and statistics. The families also watched a video that provided information about alcohol-related injury prevention and identified the legal and financial consequences relating to impaired driving. The day ended with a tour of the emergency room and trauma suite at Methodist Hospital. The program for the second day concentrated on alcohol-related injury, permanent disability, and death. To help the teens better acknowledge their own mortality, role-playing and injury simulation exercises were performed, and tours of the rehabilitation areas, critical care unit, and morgue were given. At the end of the this 2-day program, each participant and his/her family created a �contract� under which the teen agreed to live an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle.

The Marion Superior Court Juvenile Division was used as the primary referral source. Other sources included case workers, schools, counselors/therapists, concerned parents, and church staff. The program was offered once a week, 48 weeks of the year.

Results

In the first 12 months of the program, the recidivism rate dropped to 12 percent. In the first 18 months, it dropped to 10 percent. There were 183 referrals from Juvenile Court, 144 of whom attended the program. Most FACT participants (92 percent) believed that the program would influence their decision not to drink, and 89 percent indicated they would abide by the pledge they signed to live an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle. In addition to alcohol-related offenses, the program now includes marijuana- and cocaine-related offenses.

The program is currently free to participants, but a fee-based structure is being developed through Methodist Hospital�s Employee Assistance Program. Corporate sponsorship is being sought for material development and reproduction. Methodist Hospital�s contribution includes personnel time and educational and promotional materials.

FACT is being disseminated to other communities in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio. In December 1995, Methodist Hospital received the Indiana Governor�s Exemplary Projects Award in Criminal and Juvenile Justice for the FACT Program.

Kansas

Youth Alcohol Media Campaign: Take a Stand

• Program Characteristics: Teen-focused prevention
• Project Areas: Alcohol and other drugs, public information and education, and youth programs
• Type of Jurisdiction: Multi-county, high schools
• Targeted Population(s): 14-to-18 year-old impaired drivers, parents, those who ride with impaired drivers, those who know students who drive while impaired
• Jurisdiction Size: 61,000 students in 64 high schools
• Funding: Section 402, $274,060;
• Contact:

  Campaign Coordinator

  DCCCA Center, Inc.

  3312 Clinton Parkway

  Lawrence, KS 66047

  Phone: (913) 841-4138

Problem Identification

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. A 1993 survey of over 75,000 Kansas students found that 77 percent of Kansas high school students in grades 10 through 12 reported using alcohol in the past year. Nearly one half reported that they had been a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol. About 33 percent of students in grades 10-12 reported that they had driven a vehicle after they had been drinking alcohol. Approximately 13 percent of all Kansas DUI arrests involved youth aged 14 through 18 (85 percent male), indicating a significant underage drinking problem.

It is difficult to compete with the alcohol industry�s extensive advertising budget ($649.9 million in 1992), which portrays drinking alcohol as a glamorous activity. A unique campaign was required to reach the 14- to 18-year-old population.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Kansas Youth Alcohol Media Campaign was to decrease the number of impaired driving incidents among 14- to 18-year-olds. Specific objectives included:

• Educating 14- to 18-year-olds and encouraging them to �take a stand� against impaired driving, thereby lowering the number of impaired driving crashes;

• Using a positive approach and message in the campaign; and

• Researching advertising strategies specific to teenagers and using these techniques to reach the 14- to 18-year-old population.

Strategies and Activities

The Take A Stand campaign was implemented in 1994 by the DCCCA Center, a non-profit drug and alcohol agency. Prior to developing the materials, research was done on the advertising that appeals to teenagers. Focus groups were conducted with teenagers to validate the materials being developed. Of these, Take A Stand was chosen to encourage teens not to drink and drive and also to intervene to keep someone they know from driving while impaired. Research also identified where teens spend most of their time outside home and school. A series of posters and table tents along with incentives (T-shirts, cups, key chains, tank tops) were developed and placed in schools and popular businesses. Public service announcements (PSA�s) and one-line messages were broadcasted on popular radio and television stations.

The campaign displayed materials during five two-week periods in September, December, March, May, and July. Student groups distributed the materials to the schools and businesses.

Future plans include a World Wide Web site, television PSA�s, an MTV-style video, and a music CD of local rock bands with an informational jacket about impaired driving.

Results

In the first year of the campaign, the DCCCA Center distributed 3,177 posters, 5,933 table tents, and 60,000 incentives. All of the 64 high school newspapers ran ads, as did 11 local newspapers. Fifteen radio stations ran PSAs. One PSA was produced by a local radio station featuring the lead singer of The Nixons telling teens to �take a stand.�

A random telephone survey of teens revealed the following:

• Eighty-four percent recognized the Take A Stand theme;

• Seventy-five percent of those knew that it was a campaign fighting impaired driving;

• Over 95 percent agreed that they should stop friends from driving while impaired; and

• Over 80 percent believed that they should even stop strangers from driving while impaired.

DCCCA is continuing the campaign and hopes to eventually see a reduction in youth crashes.

Michigan

Alcohol In School Is Stupid (AISIS)

• Program Characteristics: Community/ county-wide
• Project Areas: Alcohol and other drugs, youth programs
• Type of Jurisdiction: County
• Targeted Population(s): Community/ county citizens
• Jurisdiction Size: Approximately 80,000
• Funding: Section 402, $109,694
• Contact:

  Alcohol Program Coordinator

  Michigan Office of Highway

      Safety Program

  300 South Washington Square

  Suite 300

  Lansing, MI 48909

  Phone: (517) 333-5324

Problem Identification

In Lapeer County, MI, crash data indicated that the underage population had a problem with alcohol use. The county is a rural area situated close to two large population centers: Detroit and Flint.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the project was to make people (both adults and youth) more aware that alcohol use was on the rise and that young people were drinking. It was hoped that the increased awareness would change attitudes and acceptable norms for youth alcohol use. This, in turn, would lead to a decrease in injuries and deaths from youth alcohol-related traffic crashes.

Strategies and Activities

In 1993, a steering committee was formed in the county. The steering committee consisted of representatives from coalitions from each school district. The coalitions included law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, parents, clergy, school representatives, and community leaders. The effort was called Alcohol In School Is Stupid (AISIS). The approach was three-pronged and included: law enforcement activities, educational presentations, and community activities.

The law enforcement activities included alcohol �stings,� which led to an increase in citations written for �minors in possession.� Students from Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapters in the high schools worked with law enforcement in the stings (about four each year) by attempting to buy alcohol from local establishments.

Steering committee members were trained by nationally recognized experts to develop alcohol-related programs, community interventions, and parenting skills. These trained individuals then served as master trainers to spread their knowledge and ideas to coalition members. Target audiences for education presentations included youth, faculty, and parents.

An active parent support network was initiated in the community, offering a safe-house alternative for youth parties. A safe-house phone directory was published in each school district listing parents who had pledged to hold chaperoned parties that were drug-, tobacco-, and alcohol-free.

One of AISIS�s many community activities was organizing a root beer tent for the Lapeer Days Festival. The media supported the program with articles on the alcohol stings and school programs. The extensive coverage kept the message fresh and brought adverse publicity to those who had been selling alcohol to underage youth.

The program was also supported by the passage of the state�s zero tolerance law in November 1994.

Results

The program continued as a vital part of the community�s programs. AISIS became part of the county�s substance abuse agency with its own office and provided wrap-around services to all youth. Parenting classes were ongoing. A 24-hour relay fundraiser helped support the program and provided small scholarships for students who wanted to attend statewide seminars on substance abuse. The acronym AISIS now stands for Any Illegal Substance Is Silly to expand activities to drugs and violence.

The judge in the county was awarded national recognition by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving for his work with this program, law enforcement, and the judicial system. Any youth charged with �minor in possession� had his/her license revoked.

Youth alcohol use has decreased by almost 20 percent, measured by the decrease of alcohol-related motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. Alcohol-related crashes have decreased by 50 percent. The 1995 graduation season had no youth alcohol violations at parties and no youth alcohol-related fatalities. The 50 percent illegal buys at some establishments dropped to almost 0. At the end of the three-year project, citizens, schools, coaches, and students had begun reporting suspected youth alcohol incidents to coalition members and to the AISIS office.

New Jersey

Peer Education: INSIGHT, CATCH, and PASSAGES

• Program Characteristics: Innovative approach, targets at-risk population
• Project Areas: Alcohol and other drugs
• Type of Jurisdiction: State
• Targeted Population(s): Students
• Jurisdiction Size: 7,903,925
• Funding: Section 402, $72,793; State, $53,068; Other, $8,000
• Contact:

  Trenton State College

  Alcohol/Drug Education Program Office

  159 Community Commons

  Trenton, NJ 08650-4700

  Phone: (609) 771-3199

Problem Identification

Binge drinking is a significant problem on college campuses throughout the country. Injuries and fatalities from impaired driving are among the most severe consequences of excessive drinking. Effective substance abuse prevention programs can involve collaborative efforts between students. These young people can often address the issues of binge drinking and driving while impaired with their peers more effectively than older adults can.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Peer Education: INSIGHT, CATCH, and PASSAGES programs was to develop a means for students to interact with and educate each other on issues relating to alcohol and drug use and abuse. Specific objectives included:

• Educating the college campus community through workshops, presentations, and alternating programs;

• Promoting collaborative prevention efforts between students from various schools throughout New Jersey; and

• Providing the means for college students to interact with younger at-risk children.

Strategies and Activities

This peer education initiative consisted of three programs designed to encourage awareness of alcohol and other drug consumption issues. The INSIGHT program, specific to Trenton State College, consisted of peer educators who implemented creative programs during National Health and Wellness Week each fall and spring semester. It was a part of Trenton State�s Alcohol/Drug Education Program (ADEP). All of INSIGHT�s activities revolved around the issues of alcohol and drug use, misuse, and abuse. Creative activities included:

• Hillwood Squares, a takeoff on Hollywood Squares where professors, coaches, and college administrators occupied the �squares� and students asked them health-related questions.

• Doubled Up, a Dating Game variation, which allowed students to socialize in an alcohol-free environment. The peer educators at Trenton State also provided substance-free entertainment, lectures, and other programming for UV�s, the college�s non-alcoholic night club. This helped to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents around the campus.

The second facet of the peer education project was the statewide CATCH (College Advisory Taskforce for Campus Health) safety program. CATCH enabled students from different colleges and backgrounds to share ideas about alcohol and drug abuse prevention. In August 1994, Trenton State held the first statewide, 3-day CATCH conference. It included educational lectures, workshops, programming ideas, and presentation skills training. After the conference, CATCH members met on a monthly basis at sponsoring schools throughout the state.

The third element of the peer education effort was PASSAGES: Students to Leaders. This program, which links high school and college students with middle and grammar school children defined as �high risk,� is still in the development stage. Once complete, it will provide a variety of prevention/mentoring projects and education enrichment programs to �children at-risk� in Mercer and Ocean Counties. It also will provide college and high school students firsthand exposure to social issues and problems facing these communities, while promoting leadership development opportunities for the participants.

Results

Trenton State�s INSIGHT program has grown significantly in the past 4 years. Today there are 12 active peer educators who offer educational and substance-free programming to their fellow students, as well as to students from surrounding colleges. Two additional CATCH conferences have taken place, and have led to the further development of peer education programs at participating colleges. A total of 450 students participated in the 3 CATCH conferences. The 1995-96 academic year required CATCH members to submit a monthly report to the CATCH coordinator identifying activities they offered on their campuses. This information was compiled in a bi-monthly newsletter. The PASSAGES program was scheduled to be implemented during the summer of 1996.