Project Summary

According to the PRIDE survey, only 35% of students in grades 7-12 report that their parents talk to them often about alcohol and other drugs. As students move through grades 7-12, the preception of harm of alcohol use decreases. The Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association also have published reports on the harmful effects of underage drinking and have noted the importance of addressing this public health issue through coalitions. 

The NECC Youth Coalition has chosen to target the health sector for new initiative, because doctors and dentists play a role in our healthy development from birth throughout our lives. After obtaining input from youth focus groups, it became evident that doctors and dentists did not sufficiently address the health consequences of underage drinking. This Youth Coalition project will provide the doctors, their teen patients, and their parents with information about the health effects of underage drinking.

Project Goals

To reduce underage drinking in the communities of Blue Ash, Montgomery, Symmes, and Sycamore Township by engaging the health sector of the NECC Coalition in increasing protective factors for children and the youth.

Objectives

• To increase the number of doctors who address underage drinking health issues with their patients and their patients' parents.
• To increase the conversations between teens and their parents about the health and legal consequences of underage drinking.
• To increase the perception of harm of alcohol use by minors.

Strategy

To provide doctors and dentists with educational resources (developed by the Northeast Community Challenge Coalition and the Youth Coalition), which can be placed in the waiting room/exam room or can be given to teens and parents at annual check-ups.