Youth Substance Use Prevention
The Partnership: Lake County Health Department and District 112 Middle Schools
Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America’s Youth, and drinking by young people poses enormous health and safety risks. Since 2018, the Lake County Health Department has partnered with the middle schools in District 112 on Youth Substance Use Prevention through multiple initiatives such as Youth Prevention Education, Communication Campaigns, and a Youth Advisory Council.
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The Student Campaign
The goal of the student campaign is to help students establish healthy and safe habits, decrease 30-day use (an indicator of regular use measured on the Illinois Youth Survey), and increase the perception of underage drinking as harmful, wrong, and uncool.
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Communication Campaigns aim to positively change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors through the use of marketing techniques inside and outside of the school setting, such as:
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Evidence-based
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Data-driven
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Promote healthy behavior
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Consistent in media distribution
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Focused on process evaluation
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Successful with student engagement
The Family Campaign
The Family Campaign's goal is to share information on substance use prevention and resources to help parents have conversations with their children.
A Communication Campaign is an evidence-based strategy to positively change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors through the use of marketing techniques, such as:
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Evidence-based
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Data-driven
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Promote healthy behavior
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Consistent in media distribution
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Focused on process evaluation
-
Successful with parent and community engagement
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