Goal 2: Alcohol
To reduce alcohol involved traffic fatalities, injuries, and crashes due to the use / misuse of alcohol by youth and adults in Gratiot County.
Alcohol Objectives
2.1 Community Norms: To correct the misperceived community norms involving alcohol use/misuse.
2.2 Enforcement and Adjudication: To support and/or enhance the effective enforcement and adjudication of alcohol-related violations.
2.3 Social Availability: To reduce youth social access to alcohol, and to impact adult social access to alcohol.
2.4 Retail Availability: To reduce youth retail access to alcohol, and to impact adult retail access to alcohol.
2.5 Laws and Policies: To support and/or enhance laws and polices that reduce alcohol misuse.
2.1 Community Norms: To correct the misperceived community norms involving alcohol use/misuse.
2.2 Enforcement and Adjudication: To support and/or enhance the effective enforcement and adjudication of alcohol-related violations.
2.3 Social Availability: To reduce youth social access to alcohol, and to impact adult social access to alcohol.
2.4 Retail Availability: To reduce youth retail access to alcohol, and to impact adult retail access to alcohol.
2.5 Laws and Policies: To support and/or enhance laws and polices that reduce alcohol misuse.
Alcohol Consumption Use Rates
Local consumption data surrounding alcohol illustrate a high tolerance for use within Gratiot County. In the 2008 Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA), youth reported past 30 day alcohol use at 42.3% for 12th graders, 27.3% for 10th graders, 12.8% for 8th graders, and 2.6% for 6th graders. In addition, 2008 binge drinking rates (five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks) indicate that 27.5 % of our county’s 12th graders, 16.5% of 10th graders, and 8.8% of 8th graders were engaging in this activity in the two weeks prior to taking the survey. The number of youth reporting having tried, alcohol in their lifetime (one or more times) is higher than the other 8 counties in the Mid-South region for grades 8, 10, and 12. Binge drinking rates were also higher than the region in 8th and 12th grade. Finally, 30 day use rates were higher than the region in 8th and 12th grade.
Although adult alcohol consumption patterns are not yet available at a county wide level, alcohol use and abuse rates for adults statewide are significant. According to Michigan State Epidemiological Workgroup, from 2002 - 2005 the percentage of past 30 day alcohol use for young adults aged 18-25 has averaged 66%. In adults aged 26 and older, it has averaged 57%. The data update also reports that past 30-day binge drinking in the State for young adults aged 18-25 is at 45% and for adults age 26 and beyond it is 23% between the years 2002-2005. It would be unlikely that the Gratiot County data would deviate substantially from this pattern as the youth data indicates a higher rate of use overall than the rest of the Mid South region.
During the year 2009, offenders who came into District Court for substance related offenses participated in a survey about substance use. Out of 195 surveys completed by 17-24 year olds, 19.5% indicated that they drink “one time or more per week” and 63% indicated that they drank “5 or more drinks in one sitting” in the past month. 45.6% admitted to having driven under the influence of alcohol and 70% indicated that they had been in a car with someone who was driving under the influence.
Data collected on juvenile alcohol Consent Calendar (informal probation for first time offenders) cases from 2004-2007 show that while only 21% of cases on the Consent Calendar were alcohol related; 37% of the Consent Calendar recidivism rate was alcohol offenders. Because of the high recidivism rate of alcohol related cases and the heavy use rate for alcohol, as well as the increased potential for negative alcohol related consequences; there is a need to provide more early intervention strategies and support to prevent alcohol use. These strategies include parent / youth instruction, as well as a system of early identification and referral. The Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition has made efforts in begin closing these gaps at the end of their 2005 – 2009 Strategic Plan cycle.
In 2010, the county will obtain broader adult data regarding alcohol consumption patterns as the Mid-Michigan District Health Department completes the Behavior Risk Factor Survey for adults. GCSAC has also funded the collection of data through the Core Survey for students and faculty at Alma College. The coalition will utilize this data to better understand and identify the needs of residents in Gratiot County.
Although adult alcohol consumption patterns are not yet available at a county wide level, alcohol use and abuse rates for adults statewide are significant. According to Michigan State Epidemiological Workgroup, from 2002 - 2005 the percentage of past 30 day alcohol use for young adults aged 18-25 has averaged 66%. In adults aged 26 and older, it has averaged 57%. The data update also reports that past 30-day binge drinking in the State for young adults aged 18-25 is at 45% and for adults age 26 and beyond it is 23% between the years 2002-2005. It would be unlikely that the Gratiot County data would deviate substantially from this pattern as the youth data indicates a higher rate of use overall than the rest of the Mid South region.
During the year 2009, offenders who came into District Court for substance related offenses participated in a survey about substance use. Out of 195 surveys completed by 17-24 year olds, 19.5% indicated that they drink “one time or more per week” and 63% indicated that they drank “5 or more drinks in one sitting” in the past month. 45.6% admitted to having driven under the influence of alcohol and 70% indicated that they had been in a car with someone who was driving under the influence.
Data collected on juvenile alcohol Consent Calendar (informal probation for first time offenders) cases from 2004-2007 show that while only 21% of cases on the Consent Calendar were alcohol related; 37% of the Consent Calendar recidivism rate was alcohol offenders. Because of the high recidivism rate of alcohol related cases and the heavy use rate for alcohol, as well as the increased potential for negative alcohol related consequences; there is a need to provide more early intervention strategies and support to prevent alcohol use. These strategies include parent / youth instruction, as well as a system of early identification and referral. The Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition has made efforts in begin closing these gaps at the end of their 2005 – 2009 Strategic Plan cycle.
In 2010, the county will obtain broader adult data regarding alcohol consumption patterns as the Mid-Michigan District Health Department completes the Behavior Risk Factor Survey for adults. GCSAC has also funded the collection of data through the Core Survey for students and faculty at Alma College. The coalition will utilize this data to better understand and identify the needs of residents in Gratiot County.
Risk and Protective Factors
In order to understand why these consequences and corresponding alcohol consumption patterns occur, we must identify intervening variables and contributing factors or more specifically, the causal factors surrounding this public health issue. Risk and protective factors provide one such mechanism. One of the most heavily targeted risk factors in prevention is youth perception of risk surrounding alcohol. In Gratiot County, 66.2% of 6th graders, 58.9% of 8th graders 57.1% of 10th graders, and 55.5% of 12th graders in 2008 agreed with the statement “people are at Moderate or Great Risk of harming themselves if they drink one or two drinks nearly every day.”2 These numbers indicate that a significant percentage of Gratiot County youth do not believe regular alcohol use is a risky behavior.
Perception of peer disapproval can also be measured through survey data that indicates how many youth think that drinking alcohol regularly is “wrong or very wrong.” 2008 PNA data indicate that 96.5% of 6th graders, 83.9% of 8th graders, 69.8% of 10th graders, and 53.3% of 12th graders in Gratiot County hold this opinion. The sharp decline in the belief that drinking regularly is wrong is reflected in an increased peer approval toward drinking behaviors. In Gratiot County, it is also apparent that perception of parental disapproval by youth could also be a significant risk factor in a youth’s choice to drink. By 12th grade, 32.8% of Gratiot County students reveal the perception that their parents do not feel that it is wrong to drink regularly.
Perception of peer disapproval can also be measured through survey data that indicates how many youth think that drinking alcohol regularly is “wrong or very wrong.” 2008 PNA data indicate that 96.5% of 6th graders, 83.9% of 8th graders, 69.8% of 10th graders, and 53.3% of 12th graders in Gratiot County hold this opinion. The sharp decline in the belief that drinking regularly is wrong is reflected in an increased peer approval toward drinking behaviors. In Gratiot County, it is also apparent that perception of parental disapproval by youth could also be a significant risk factor in a youth’s choice to drink. By 12th grade, 32.8% of Gratiot County students reveal the perception that their parents do not feel that it is wrong to drink regularly.
Community Access to Alcohol
A key factor impacting alcohol use rates for underage youth is social access to alcohol. Although 875 out of 1400 (62.5%) Gratiot County 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders overall chose not to drink, by grade 12 the rate of alcohol free students is down to 36% (129 of 358). Youth obtain alcohol from a variety of sources. 61% of 12th graders in Gratiot County who drink alcohol indicated that they obtained the alcohol from someone over 21. Another 14% of the 12 grade drinkers obtained alcohol from family or home sources, such as a brother or sister (3%), at home with a parent’s permission (8%), and at home without a parent’s permission (3%).
Early onset of alcohol use in youth increases the likelihood of several other risk factors including the increased risk of other drugs, early sexual behavior, school dropout, and future dependence on alcohol. According to the 2008 PNA, 30% of alcohol drinking 6th graders and 18% of alcohol drinking 8th graders obtained the alcohol from home with a parent’s permission. Focus group data from 2007 accentuates this point. The majority of youth aged 13-16 who participated in the focus groups believed that while most parents in the community do not let their children drink alcohol, there are a group of parents who provide alcohol access and opportunity to underage youth.
A 2009 survey of youth aged 17 – 20 reflects the previously stated concern in Gratiot County about the social access of alcohol to youth. 92 surveys completed by MIP-Alcohol offenders in District court provide insight into where underage young adults obtain and consume alcohol. 10% of those surveyed would most likely drink at home, 76% at a friends, 5% would do so in the community or at a bar. Finally, the two most common ways for 17-20 year olds to get alcohol according to the survey was from a friend who is 21 (75%) or to steal it from home (12%).7 This data reflects that there is much work to be done to educate individuals and the community on the consequences of youth drinking, in order to make an impact on the community norms in Gratiot County.
Early onset of alcohol use in youth increases the likelihood of several other risk factors including the increased risk of other drugs, early sexual behavior, school dropout, and future dependence on alcohol. According to the 2008 PNA, 30% of alcohol drinking 6th graders and 18% of alcohol drinking 8th graders obtained the alcohol from home with a parent’s permission. Focus group data from 2007 accentuates this point. The majority of youth aged 13-16 who participated in the focus groups believed that while most parents in the community do not let their children drink alcohol, there are a group of parents who provide alcohol access and opportunity to underage youth.
A 2009 survey of youth aged 17 – 20 reflects the previously stated concern in Gratiot County about the social access of alcohol to youth. 92 surveys completed by MIP-Alcohol offenders in District court provide insight into where underage young adults obtain and consume alcohol. 10% of those surveyed would most likely drink at home, 76% at a friends, 5% would do so in the community or at a bar. Finally, the two most common ways for 17-20 year olds to get alcohol according to the survey was from a friend who is 21 (75%) or to steal it from home (12%).7 This data reflects that there is much work to be done to educate individuals and the community on the consequences of youth drinking, in order to make an impact on the community norms in Gratiot County.
Retail Availablility of Alcohol to Youth
Retail Availability of alcohol to youth has been studied through focus group data and surveys conducted in the county between 2006 and 2009. In the PNA survey, only 1% of youth indicated that they had attempted to purchase alcohol directly from a retail outlet with a fake ID, without a fake ID, or by stealing it from a store. Additionally, few youth who have been caught for drinking underage indicate that they buy alcohol from a store or steal it. Of 17-20 year olds who received MIP Alcohols in 2009, only 4% indicated that they bought alcohol in Gratiot County with a fake ID or by someone not checking their ID.
The low rate of reported attempts to retail outlets may be more reflective of other strategies being more effective, rather than it being necessarily difficult to obtain alcohol from area stores. Since 2007, retail availability has been tracked by the substance abuse coalition and local police departments through compliance checks to area vendors that sell alcohol. In 2007, 100% of Gratiot alcohol vendors were given a compliance check. In that year, there were 5 out of 46 (10.8%) of the vendors that sold to minors. In 2008, 31 vendors were checked and 8 vendors (25.8%) sold.8 At the time of this report, 6 out of 20 (30%) businesses which were checked in 2010 were not compliant.8 Because it is apparent that youth may be able to obtain alcohol directly from alcohol vendors in the county, the Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition will continue to monitor this activity.
The low rate of reported attempts to retail outlets may be more reflective of other strategies being more effective, rather than it being necessarily difficult to obtain alcohol from area stores. Since 2007, retail availability has been tracked by the substance abuse coalition and local police departments through compliance checks to area vendors that sell alcohol. In 2007, 100% of Gratiot alcohol vendors were given a compliance check. In that year, there were 5 out of 46 (10.8%) of the vendors that sold to minors. In 2008, 31 vendors were checked and 8 vendors (25.8%) sold.8 At the time of this report, 6 out of 20 (30%) businesses which were checked in 2010 were not compliant.8 Because it is apparent that youth may be able to obtain alcohol directly from alcohol vendors in the county, the Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition will continue to monitor this activity.
