The Community Response Leadership Group,
Belknap County CoRe Coalition
is group of concerned citizens from multi-sectors of the community who convened in 2001 in response to the NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The NH YRBS measures the amount of high-risk behaviors students participate in, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. (ATOD)
Inter-Lakes High School students scored significantly higher in every high-risk category on the 2001 NH YRBS when compared to the state average.
In response
Belknap County CoRe Coalition formed and developed a mission to support our communities in decreasing incidents of ATOD use among youth. They pledged to do this by building community partnerships, seeking and enhancing resources, developing healthy alternatives and the creative use of the media to raise awareness and disseminate information.
Research shows that if communities increase protective factors and decrease risk factors, youth will be less likely to use drugs.
Belknap County
CoRe Coalition works hard to increase the number of protective factors for youth in our communities. An example of some of the protective factors include: Parent Support Groups, After Hours, Leadership in Prevention Training, Education, and the Drug Prevention Fall Festival.
Belknap County
CoRe Coalition worked with the Inter-Lakes high school to administer the NH YRBS again in May of 2003. The survey revealed significant declines in the most youth ATOD
use (Example: 30 day use of any substance among teens dropped 19%, from 69% to
50%)
Belknap County
CoRe Coalition recognizes that this is a
testament to the effectiveness of current efforts, but also a call to increase
efforts to further reduce youth risk behaviors.
Our vision is to have families, schools, and communities that are informed about the importance of ATOD prevention, that actively participate in ATOD prevention efforts, and who encourage low-risk behavior, and to have significantly higher numbers of healthy, drug free young people who do the same.
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