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There are many reasons to be concerned about alcohol and the misuse of prescription drugs among West Virginia’s youth. Alcohol and the misuse of prescription drugs are the leading contributing factors of deaths among 12-25 year olds in West Virginia (CDC, 2010). The consequences of underage drinking are significant, as teens “who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives” (NIAAA, 2012, p. 3). Similar to alcohol use among youth, the misuse of prescription drugs can be significant too. Drazdowski, Jaggi, Borre, and Kliewer (2014) found nonmedical use of prescription drugs by young people increased their risk for mental health problems, other drug use, and exposure to violence.

West Virginia has initiated a multi-year Partnerships for Success project to reduce underage drinking and the misuse of prescription drugs among youth in 12 West Virginia counties. Building on the strengths and resources that exist in these counties, the project offers multiple tools provided in the form of toolkits which are intended to guide conversations about underage drinking and the misuse of prescription drugs and to promote engagement on these issues. The toolkits are designed to combine two goals:

confront the seriousness of underage drinking and the misuse of prescription drugs among youth, and
build hope that communities can work together to reduce risk and create positive change.

The Community Building Campaign is the first toolkit and lays the foundation and sets the tone for the entire project. The purpose of this toolkit is to build capacity for positive community change by connecting the people of West Virginia based on their common values toward caring, health, and safety. Not only do these values have broad appeal, but acknowledging that we share them fosters a sense of community and provides a common context to begin conversations. The Community Building Campaign Toolkit is followed by a series of campaign toolkits which focus on multiple levels of the social ecology including:

  • Law Enforcement
  • Parents
  • Community Adults
  • Students (Youth)
  • Schools
  • Healthcare Providers

The brand which identifies this project is: “It’s Who We Are. West Virginia.” By linking the brand to all aspects of the project, we will begin to join together around the desire for improved health and safety.