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Substance Abuse Council of Indian River County PREVENT ! Program CSAC of IRC B. PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page. a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? b) Who has the need? c) Where do they live? d) Provide local, state, or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. Alcohol and drug abuse continues to be the number one problem facing the youth of America. The use of mind altering chemicals has proven to be especially harmful to the adolescent growth and development process. Psychoactive drugs interfere with physical, social and emotional growth during the critical years of adolescent development. An adolescent who uses intoxicants is not only at high risk of becoming drug dependent, but is also at an increased risk of dropping out of school, getting involved in crime, attempting suicide, or becoming involved in an assortment of dangerous behaviors . The prevention of adolescent drug and alcohol abuse is most likely to occur when parents, teachers, and other individuals in the community who are part of the youth' s circle : ➢ are well informed of the harmful effects of drugs ➢ recognize behavioral changes that accompany drug use ➢ understand how drug use is encouraged and accepted in the social world of a youth. According to the 2006 FYSA Survey of Indian River County students, IRC students continue to have incidences of substance abuse that are above national averages. Over the 7 years of data gathered, we have seen significant changes in youth usage, but our youth continue to report a high level of availability for alcohol, marijuana and other illegal drugs. Of 9th through 12th graders, 37 . 5% also reported a "perceived great risk of harm if one or more drinks , (of alcohol) every day ", but continue to use alcohol at a rate of 73 . 2%. (FYSAS 2006) . When comparing the PRIDE Survey to the Florida Substance Abuse Survey (FSAS), we see comparable rates within Indian River County. Reporting levels indicate that Indian River County youth are at the highest category for Binge Drinking, Alcohol use in the past 30 days and Marijuana use in the past 30 days . (FYSAS 2006) All of this combined have made it increasingly more important for efforts to focus on behavior strategies and intervention for youth by promoting behavioral change including healthy lifestyles. (i .e., not using drugs, alcohol, tobacco ; practicing abstinence; participating in school ; anger control with focus on alternatives to violence) With substance use/abuse intertwined with so many other high risk behaviors, early intervention must be available to specifically target the prevention education needs . a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. Local The Substance Abuse Council ' s program is the only program that provides comprehensive community based prevention education within Indian River County. Suncoast Mental Health and the Mental Health Association do provide crisis intervention services, but are not specifically substance abuse related and not for youth. New Horizons provides Student Support Specialists in the middle schools. DATA also provides services to youth. Both these agencies work with a very small indicated population of students and can not serve the entire indicated population of youth. These youth would receive no additional program services if the PREVENT! Program was not available. The PREVENT ! program provides no duplication of services. N