Unified Prevention Coalition Awarded $193,032 STOP Grant to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking

For Immediate Release | Oct. 24, 2012 | Download Press Release

The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) has been awarded a major federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth ages 12-20.

UPC Health Sector Coordinator Amy Reif

The nonprofit coalition is one of 81 community groups across the nation – and the only one in Virginia and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area – to receive a new Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act Grant award this year. The grant is $48,238 a year with anticipated future funding over the next four years that will total $193,032 for UPC.

"With this grant we will continue our work with our more than 50 community partners to address the important public health problem of underage drinking," said Amy Reif, UPC's health sector coordinator. "Our students are beginning to experiment with alcohol at age 11, and we must strengthen our efforts on reducing initiation of alcohol use during the transition from elementary to middle school."

(L to R): Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County Executive Director Diane Eckert, Dr. Bill Hauda, Captain Bruce Ferguson, and UPC Health Sector Coordinator Amy Reif. Dr. Hauda of Inova Fairfax Hospital and Captain Ferguson of the Fairfax County Police Department are member of the UPC Board of Directors.

A key part of the focus of UPC's STOP project will be to increase the health community's awareness of youth alcohol use and advocate that local doctors use the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended alcohol screening tool in required school physicals in 6th grade, as well as during physicals required for playing high school sports.

Captain Bruce Ferguson

Dr. Bill Hauda of Inova Fairfax Hospital, a UPC board member and member of the AAP, said a survey will be done of Fairfax County pediatricians to determine their current their knowledge and implementation of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for adolescent screening and intervention for alcohol use. UPC also plans to disseminate in health care settings alcohol education materials in multiple languages for parents.

The grant also will support the continuation of UPC's signature program, "The Perils of the College Drinking Culture," designed for college-bound students and their parents.

The UPC is a nonprofit organization with more than 50 community partners dedicated to the prevention of violence, alcohol, and other drug use by youth and young adults. For more information, please call 703-938-8723 or visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org.

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