Grant lists county 2nd in underage drinking

Jefferson County has been awarded a multi-year federal grant to combat underage and binge drinking.

The county is one of 23 identified as ?highest need? by the Iowa Department of Public Health to share a $10.5 million Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant.

?Of the 23 counties that fall in this category, Jefferson County is second highest in the state, only behind Appanoose County, in underage and binge drinking reported incidents,? said Don Sander, local coordinator for the grant.

In a 2008 Jefferson County youth survey, 70 percent of 11th-graders, 32 percent of eighth-graders and 29 percent of sixth-graders reported having consumed alcohol. Thirty-four percent of 11th-graders, 9 percent of eight-graders and 4 percent of sixth-graders reported binge drinking within 30 days of the survey.

?The youth survey shows that 18 percent of 11th-graders here in the county have driven after they?ve consumed alcohol ? it becomes a public safety issue, and that should be foremost on everybody?s mind,? Sander said. ?The safety and health of our youth is really what the project is about.?

In June, the Jefferson County Collaboration Council was formed under the leadership of juvenile courts officer Troy Seeley. The council consists of representatives from Jefferson County Public Health, Fairfield Community School District, Fairfield Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff?s Office, Jefferson County Health Center, Jefferson County Board of Supervisors and Fairfield City Council, as well as parents, volunteers and business and religious leaders.

The council?s first action has been to assess the local situation and analyze the data. Social availability, retail availability and promotion are three factors identified as contributing to the local problem.

Sander said the council will be looking to ?change the environment rather than individual behaviors? as it prepares to implement its strategies. The council?s data on alcohol sources will help target areas to promote environmental change.

For example, the data shows 18 percent of local 11th-graders who have consumed alcohol got it at a party; 18 percent have gotten it from a friend older than 21; 14 percent have gotten it from a friend under 21; and 13 percent have gotten it from a parent.

One of the first steps for the council is spreading public awareness. Further into the project, Sander said the council may lobby for policy changes, such as a social host law that makes adults liable for underage drinking.

Grant money will likely go toward supporting local law enforcement and offering training in responsible beverage service, Sander said.

The goal, Sander said, is to have a long-term effect on reducing the risk of underage and binge drinking.

For more information about the grant, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/spfsig.