Mission Statement:
To assist people in working together to create a community where all youth can develop into caring, healthy and productive adults without the problems created by substance abuse.
Origin of our Coalition:
The Coalition began in 2000 as the STOP the Madness Partnership in Genesee County, N.Y. Since its inception, it has made measurable strides toward reducing substance abuse among youth. Key goals include the reduction of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and binge drinking; strengthening the Coalition by adding to its membership, and building protective factors and reducing risk factors that have an impact on substance use among the nearly 6,000 students in grades six through 12 in Genesee County.
Coalition Accomplishments:
Using the Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) survey, which measures over 50 different indicators - including 30-day usage rates as well as risk and protective factors - the Coalition is pleased to report that rates of alcohol and marijuana use and binge drinking in grades six through 12 have decreased significantly since 2000. For its efforts, the Coalition was named Got Outcomes! National Coalition of the Year for 2006 by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.
Current Coalition Activities:
The Coalition is taking a proactive approach to decrease the prevalence and incidence of substance abuse in Genesee County through various activities, including: the Underage Drinking Tipline, SafeHomes Parent Network, faith-based and other youth events, compliance checks, server training, smoke-free education and advocacy, media campaigns and town hall meetings. The Coalition provides an ongoing process of monitoring, priority setting, intervention planning/implementation and evaluation by a broad-based community coalition with representation from multiple sectors.
Current Priorities:
Change community norms and attitudes, reduce access to problematic substances and behaviors, and enhance regulatory enforcement.
Contact Information:
Lisa Fickel
585-815-1852
lfickel@gcasa.org
