Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Drug Free Coalition (BCDF) has been awarded a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Drug Free Communities Grant in the amount of $625,000 ($125,000 per year) over a five year period.  The project period runs from September 30, 2015 thru September 29, 2020. 
Project Director, Rhonda Vaughn has set up an office at Butler County Middle School. 

According to the grant BCDF has two major goals:

• Goal One: Increase community collaboration

• Goal Two: Reduce youth substance use- Alcohol, Tobacco, and Prescription Drugs

With the funds and support of SAMHAS, the Coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: community trainings, education and awareness with regard to underage drinking, tobacco and prescription drug use/abuse; implement environmental strategies such as Sticker Shock, Reward and Remind; forming a committee to address changing and/or updating existing policies; and mobilizing the community to change the current social norms.

The Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey has been administered in Kentucky for a number of years by individual school districts across the state through agreements with the Substance Abuse Prevention Program. The intent of the survey is to anonymously assess student use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, as well as a number of factors related to potential substance abuse (for example, peer influences, perception of risk, family factors, and school safety). School district and individual student participation has always been on a voluntary basis.
The current quantitative data on youth substance use for Butler County, retrieved from the 2014 KIP Survey showed the following according to the grant application:

• Alcohol use is extremely common, with 43% of 10th graders and 56% of 12th graders reporting using alcohol at least once in the last year.  Even more troubling, binge drinking is not uncommon, with 13% of 10th graders reporting having had 5+ drinks in one sitting in the last two weeks alone, and 21% of 12th graders reporting binge drinking.

• Even more distressing, tobacco use often starts young and becomes increasingly common throughout adolescence, with 3% of 6th graders, 12% of 8th graders, 30% of 10th graders, and 40% of 12th graders reporting tobacco use in the past 30 days.  Early dabbling with tobacco often turns into regular use by high school or early adulthood, and 35% of Butler County adults report smoking regularly (BRFSS 2006-2012)

• Prescription drug abuse is seen in middle school, 1% of 6th graders and 4% of 8th graders report ever abusing prescription drugs, but is more pronounced by high school, with 5% of 10th graders and 14% of 12th graders reporting prescription drug abuse in their lifetimes.

“Over the next five years our goal is to improve community engagement, build support for future efforts, and reduce substance use among our children, resulting in a safer, healthier community and future work force,” added Vaughn in the grant.