The Coalition for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati is proud to highlight the Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Fairfield in December. The Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Fairfield was awarded the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) 2011 Got Outcomes! Coalition of Excellence Award in the Coalition in Focus category. The award is sponsored by the National Coalition Institute and recognizes organizations that have successfully worked to improve substance abuse in their community “by implementing a comprehensive and feasible plan guided by local data that includes program practice and policy changes”.

            Fairfield was selected for their implementation of a comprehensive set of strategies to address high rates of underage drinking. A community assessment identified community conditions such as permissive attitudes towards underage drinking and low peer disapproval as contributors to youth drinking and the coalition selected a comprehensive set of interventions. Those efforts were to address issues such as working with local police to increase enforcement of social hosting, keg registration and curfew laws, limiting alcohol availability at school and community events, providing leadership training to freshmen high school students and implementing a media campaign on youth access to alcohol in the home. Their efforts contributed to a decrease in 30-day alcohol use among 7-12 graders (25.8 percent in 2004; 14 percent in 2010) and an increase in the age of onset of alcohol use among youth (12.0 percent in 2004; 13.9 percent in 2010.

Recipients of the award are recognized at the 2012 CADCA National Leadership Forum in February in Washington D.C. More information on the Got Outcomes! Awards are available at www.cadca.org/gotoutcomes.

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