University of Mississippi team aims to curb alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use in Lafayette County – The Local Voice

CDC grant to fund a coalition to reduce substance use among youth

Two University of Mississippi Researchers unite against alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use Lafayette County.

Sarah BilskyAssistant Professor of Psychology, and Hannah AllenManaging Director of the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing and assistant professor of public health, have received a $625,000 grant from the university Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form a coalition to reduce recreational substance use among youth.

“The goal of this project is to create a coalition of community members from twelve different sectors – such as public health organizations, local schools, religious organizations or youth-oriented groups – with the goal of reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana in Lafayette County.” said Bilsky.

Although cigarette use occurs in children aged 12 to 17 years Mississippi has declined since 2004, 2.6% of youth ages 12 to 17 in Mississippi report using a tobacco product in the past month, which is higher than the national average.

Mississippi youth are also significantly more likely than other youth in the United States to use illegal drugs and to have these drugs offered, sold, or administered to them on school grounds

Teens who struggle with their mental health are also more likely to use substances, and some substances can worsen symptoms of mental health problems over time.

Researchers will spend the first year of the five-year grant collecting local data on teen and adolescent substance use and conducting community outreach. The next few years will be spent providing programs to reduce substance use and assessing the impact of the coalition’s efforts.

In addition to raising awareness about substance abuse, the coalition also plans to train youth in teen mental health first aid. Peers are often the first to notice when a student or friend is in trouble, but don’t always have the knowledge or skills to help, the researchers say.

“The idea is to train youth to recognize the presence of mental health symptoms and substance abuse problems and give them the skills to talk to their peers in an evidence-based way,” Bilsky said. “We want to give them the tools to respond safely and healthily.”

The goal is not to create a one-size-fits-all program, but rather to tailor programming to best fit Lafayette County, Allen said.

“I’ve always liked that the CDC is pushing for this to be a community-driven initiative,” she said. “People are already doing this work but are often isolated. That’s why I love the design of this scholarship.

“It is intended to help connect law enforcement, teachers, researchers and the community.”

Allen and Bilsky hope to reduce the use of these substances by connecting existing efforts in the LOU community with each other and with resources that could help them succeed.

“The goal is for the program to be self-sustaining,” Allen said. “This gives us an opportunity to center community voices and be a partner in this work.”

This material is based on work supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant No. NH28CE003903.

By Clara Turnage