The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Dexter Coalition looks at underage drinking
By Amanda Naugle, Guest Writer
PUBLISHED: December 11, 2008
This fall, in collaboration with the Dexter Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (DCRUD) and Washtenaw County Public Health (WCPH), a group of Dexter High School students photographed aspects of community life that they feel influence youth drinking and related traffic crashes.
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The recently students showcased their work at an exhibit called Exposed: A Closer Look at Underage Drinking last Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Commons area of Dexter High School.
Each photograph includes a short narrative explaining what the picture represents to the student photographer.
"This project is exciting because we don't get the chance to really see into the hearts and minds of local teens as much as we'd like," said Sharon Lorensen, parent and coalition member. "This will give Dexter a clear view of exactly what issues the students see in our community."
In September, DCRUD and Washtenaw County Public Health staff launched this youth "Photovoice" project. The students at Dexter High School began working with Carissa Williams from Washtenaw County Public Health to capture in photos what they feel contributes to or prevents underage drinking and how underage drinking affects them and their community.
Photovoice is an international public health strategy used to empower youth and promote dialogue and awareness about many issues. At Photovoice after-school sessions, the students learned about defining photo subject matter, the ethics of Photovoice, photography techniques, and training on group facilitation. "The youth are dedicated to this project and want share how they see underage drinking in Dexter," shares Carissa Williams.
This event is one in a series of community activities sparked by DCRUD's April 2008 town hall meeting that informed the community on the issues of underage drinking and related traffic crashes. Staff from WCPH shared local data on these topics and gathered community input on contributing factors for underage drinking in the two communities, Dexter and Pinckney.
Residents of both communities identified social access - parent permissiveness, adults buying for youth, access to alcohol in the home, as well as home and community policies that support youth alcohol use - as key contributing factors for underage drinking.
As a result WCPH and DCRUD selected several evidence-based interventions or programs around the country that have been proven to work in addressing the contributing factors. The youth "Photovoice" project was one intervention that was chosen as well as Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking and Project Sticker Shock which will be implemented in early 2009.
As the Holiday season approaches, celebrations are being planned which may increase the opportunity for easy access to alcohol by our youth. Increased travel may also add to the potential for alcohol related traffic crashes and deaths.
While various factors contribute to underage drinking, 'environmental influences' and access to alcohol may be overlooked. Now is the time to take a deeper look, join the conversation and get involved. "Parents, students and community members are a critical part of addressing the issue and effecting change," said Mark D. Olexa, coalition member.
Through a bi-county needs assessment the communities of Dexter and Pinckney were selected to lead the region in addressing underage drinking and alcohol-related traffic crash deaths. This new process called the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is a grant implemented by the Livingston/Washtenaw Substance Abuse Coordinating Agency and Washtenaw County Public Health through funding from the Michigan Department of Community Health - Office of Drug Control Policy. The SPF/SIG process brings together individuals (youth and adults), schools, prevention and treatment experts, law enforcement and businesses, faith-based organizations with a common goal: to reduce underage drinking by creating a healthy community environment with policies, practices, and attitudes that support the alcohol-free development of all youth and to ultimately reduce alcohol-related traffic crash deaths.
The report Underage and Under the Influence: The Alcohol Climate in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties is a result of the bi-county needs assessment. A few key findings include:
-Motor vehicle crash rates associated with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in 16?20 year old drivers in the Dexter Pinckney areas are 75?150 percent higher than averages for Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
-Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC) rates associated with 16?20 year old drivers who are DUI tend to be highest in the more rural parts of both counties.
For more information please visit the Underage Drinking Prevention webpage at: www.ewashtenaw.org/stopunderagedrinking.
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