Our Town. Our Health. Our Future. It's Your Turn to Speak Up. Washington and Clinton Counties, Illinois

INTRODUCTION

Staff of the 1-year-old Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition, serving rural Washington and Clinton Counties in southern Illinois, observed that alcohol use appeared to be ingrained in the local culture. They considered this to be one reason why many area residents have not treated underage drinking as a serious problem. Anecdotal evidence suggested that parents look the other way and think that youth alcohol use is relatively unimportant when compared with reported increases in the use of drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, by teens. Yet, according to the Illinois Youth Survey, rates of both alcohol use and binge drinking among high school students are higher here than for the United States as a whole, with some Illinois youth beginning to drink as early as ages 10 and 11, thus greatly increasing their risks for serious problems. The CTC Coalition organized two Town Hall Meetings that were intended to begin correcting such misperceptions and build community support for underage drinking prevention.

EVENT DESCRIPTION,

The CTC Coalition planned 2014 Town Hall Meetings for May 20 and May 21, for Washington and Clinton Counties’ audiences, respectively. The program for both events aimed to help parents recognize that underage drinking is a problem in and of itself. Promoted through local newspaper ads, flyers in English and Spanish, social media, and personal invitations to community leaders, the meetings began with a presentation by local law enforcement. For the benefit of parents more worried about other drug use than about underage drinking, medical professionals explained the effects of alcohol on the developing brain and how it can impair the decisionmaking skills of young people. Other coalition members described current prevention efforts. The main purpose of the Town Hall Meetings was to generate discussion about what participants, their families, and their communities can do to reduce and prevent alcohol use and other substance abuse among children and adolescents. During brainstorming sessions, parents and professionals discussed problems and produced actionable suggestions to enhance existing prevention efforts in both Clinton and Washington Counties.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Coalition member agency Hoyleton Youth and Family Services (HYFS) was the lead organizer of the Town Hall Meetings. According to HYFS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Jennifer Knopp and Community Support Services Manager Jenny Childerson, the meetings were successful on many levels. Postevent evaluations provided positive comments about the opportunities to brainstorm with, learn from, and network with others in the community as well as indicated a desire for additional similar events. More tangibly, the events yielded several new coalition members as well as several young volunteers who—prompted by discussions with their parents—offered to be the first members of a youth advisory board. Noted Childerson, “Ours is a very new coalition, and this was a great pilot event.”

NEXT STEPS

According to Knopp, the Town Hall Meetings have provided the impetus for moving forward on a number of fronts. The coalition already is working with the local government in Breese to revise the town’s liquor ordinance. Another offshoot: The coalition is preparing to offer Illinois’s responsible beverage server training in both counties and is hoping to make the training a requirement in any revised local liquor ordinances.

Return to Success Stories