Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking Menu:

• Overview

• Meeting Dates & Directions

• Meeting Minutes, Agendas & Materials

• TPAUD Community Group Presentation (Jan-Feb 2007)

• TPAUD Year One Executive Summary

How and why was TPAUD formed?

In September 2006 the Town of Trumbull applied for support from the CT Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services for funds to support environmental efforts to reduce drinking among Trumbull adolescents. The Town of Trumbull competed successfully in this grant process and received $66,000 per year annually - renewable for up to three years to better understand and plan efforts to reduce underage drinking.

Why should Trumbull residents be concerned about underage drinking?

In many ways, Trumbull is a typical Connecticut suburban town. Per capita income mirrors the state average, and the population is predominantly white and middle and upper-middle class. Parents, educators, and teens value success; students routinely out-perform state averages on standardized tests and over 85% of high school graduates pursue higher education. Yet, like many suburban towns in Connecticut, Trumbull also struggles with the problem of high underage drinking and binge-drinking rates among its teens.

According to the Sub-Region 1-C data for Trumbull students, 17% of 7th and 8th graders have used alcohol in the past month. This figure rises dramatically to 44.5% of 9th and 10th graders and 57.5% of 11th and 12th graders. The results for binge drinking are equally troubling, with the survey results showing that 6% of 7th and 8th graders, 28% of 9th and 10th graders and 41.5% of 11th and 12th graders had engaged in binge drinking in the previous month. Moreover, results of the Student Life Survey conducted by RYASAP in 2005 show that Trumbull students feel more supported by their families, school, and neighborhood and are more engaged in school, community, and religious activities than their peers in the Greater Bridgeport area. Despite this, Trumbull teens are more likely to have used alcohol in the past month than their peers in neighboring towns (39% vs. 32%) and are more likely to have been drunk in the last 2 weeks (25% vs. 18%). This data presents the troubling question: If Trumbull teens feel more supported than their peers and are more engaged in their community, why are they drinking at higher rates than teens in the neighboring towns?

Many adults believe that underage drinking is a normal "rite of passage" that all young people will engage in and do not understand the gateway nature of early alcohol use. Recent studies have shown that 75% of teenage alcohol users are offered marijuana by age 18 (compared to 25% of non-users) and that alcohol users are seven times more likely to use marijuana when offered it. Moreover, early alcohol use has been directly correlated to later alcohol dependence - each year earlier that children try alcohol is correlated to a 14% increase in the chance of alcohol dependence. In fact, half of all teenage boys (and one-third of teenage girls) who engage in binge drinking continue to do so at age 30-31. Early initiation into alcohol use will increase rates of dependence and abuse throughout young people's lives.

The history of underage drinking prevention work in Trumbull.

In the past, the Town of Trumbull sought to address the ongoing problem of teen alcohol use and binge drinking through Trumbull CARES: The First Selectman's Prevention Council. Trumbull CARES has worked with Trumbull Public Schools and the PTA to fund activities that promote positive youth development and help to reduce risky behaviors by primarily building internal assets. Despite Trumbull CARES membership in RYASAP, the local Regional Action Council, and numerous activities targeted to promote positive decision-making, there has not been the desired reduction in the rates of alcohol use among teens in the town. Several factors have hampered the efforts of Trumbull CARES - the lack of comprehensive, qualitative data as to the causal factors contributing to the high rates of teen alcohol use, the lack of a cohesive planning process to address the community needs, and insufficient financial resources to address the problem more aggressively.

Who is involved in TPAUD?

Given what is known about alcohol use by Trumbull teens, the Trumbull Board of Education, working with other concerned partners in the community, has identified the need for a town-wide planning process that will address the lack of information on the causal and environmental factors that affect Trumbull teens' ability to identify risk and make correct decisions regarding alcohol use, including the ease of social access to alcohol and societal norms accepting teen alcohol use, as much of the information to hand is anecdotal. In response to this RFP, the Trumbull Board of Education invited various members of the community to participate in the SPF/SIG process, as part of a new group called the Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking (TPAUD) and the response was overwhelming. Committed members include representatives of town government, school administrators and faculty from public and private schools, police leadership and youth representatives, local businesses and civic organizations, members who work directly with youth in the community, teens, parents, and religious leaders. The chair of the school district's Cultural Diversity Committee has pledged her support, and TPAUD has committed to engaging community members (including parents and teens) who will represent the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic minorities in Trumbull, so that societal factors and prevention strategies that best suit these various groups will be considered throughout. TPAUD formed partnerships with the Trumbull Chief of Police, both Chambers of Commerce, the Lakewood YMCA, the Monroe/Trumbull Health District, the Trumbull PTA Council and its nine units, the Trumbull diversity committee, the Rotary Club of Trumbull, Greater Bridgeport's Regional Action Council (RYASAP), Trumbull parochial schools, local liquor stores, and other community leaders.

What will TPAUD be doing this year?

The Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking recognizes that while they have a range of data detailing teen alcohol use, there is very little data on the "why". What is required is more intuitive, qualitative data that will reveal what is influencing Trumbull teens' perceptions of risk and what influences their decisions to use alcohol. As such, Trumbull proposes to devote some of their planning time to conducting qualitative data-gathering efforts, primarily key informant interviews and focus groups with community members, parents, and students, which will enable them to more thoroughly understand the causal and environmental factors that are peculiar to Trumbull teens. This information will also be instrumental in Trumbull's efforts to identify the best ways to change community norms. For this effort the Trumbull has contracted with a Bridgeport based public health consulting firm (duBay Horton Associates) to conduct focus groups, key informant interviews and community meetings to gather information on underage drinking in Trumbull, it's causes and potential strategies to reduce it.
TPAUD also understands that in order to address underage drinking and the health risks associated with binge drinking, they will need to focus many of their efforts on two causal factors: parental and societal attitudes that accept underage drinking and the ease of social access to alcohol for teens. According to the Governor's Prevention Partnership, 77% of Connecticut high school students obtain alcohol at home, with or without their parent's permission, and 61% of teen drinking takes place at house parties (www.preventionworksct.org). While there is no data regarding these specific factors for Trumbull, anecdotal evidence from the Trumbull Police Department and parent organizations support these findings. In light of the "Social Host" legislation which became law on October 1, 2006, TPAUD is very interested in using this new legislation as a springboard for tackling the issue of permissive attitudes of parents and the community that lead to teen alcohol use.

What can community members do to become engaged in the effort to reduce underage drinking in Trumbull?

• Join the TPAUD Planning Process (CLICK HERE TO SEE A CALENDAR AND DIRECTIONS TO MEETING LOCATIONS)
  
  • Community members are needed to participate in TPAUD meetings (Feb 27th and May 8th, 2pm, Long Hill Administration Bldg. 6254 Main Street, Trumbull, CT)
    
    
  • Primary Data Collection Committee (planning focus groups and surveys) next meeting January 30th, 1:30pm, Long Hill Administration Bldg.
    
    
  • Outreach Subcommittee (arranging education of Trumbull residents about the process) next mtg TBD
• Spread the word  TPAUD Community Group Presentation (Jan-Feb 2007)
  
  • Invite us to present to your community group or workplace
    
• Share your knowledge as a Trumbull resident
  (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP - TPAUD Follow Up Form)
  
  • Allow your child to participate in a youth focus group or survey
    
  • Participating in an adult focus group or survey

For more information, please contact TPAUD staff - Chris Brown (brownch@trumbullps.org) or (203) 452-4246) and Sue Gallant (suegallant@earthlink.net)