Project Characteristics Program Areas Innovative At-risk Youth Underage Drinking Targeted Audience Jurisdiction Middle and junior high school youth and their families Community

Goals

• Have all youth postpone alcohol use until adulthood

Strategies

Start Taking Alcohol Risks Seriously (STARS) for Families is a health promotion program for preventing alcohol use among at-risk middle and junior high school youth. STARS for Families matches media-related, interpersonal, and environmental prevention strategies to each child’s specific stages of alcohol initiation, stages of readiness for change, and specific risk and protective factors. STARS for Families consist of three primary strategies: Health Care Consultation, Key Facts Postcards, and Family Take Home Lessons. 

Unlike most existing programs that consist of several weeks of classroom lessons, the STARS for Families program uses very brief, potentially cost-effective strategies. These strategies can be implemented within schools, health clinics, youth organizations, work sites, families, religious organizations, and communities, using little time and causing minimal organizational disruption. 

For a more detailed description including implementation essentials, risk factors and program background you may visit the SAMHSA Model Programs website at: http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/template_cf.cfm?page=model&pkProgramID=16&section=description.

Results

• Avoidance of, or reductions in, alcohol use among participating youth
• Fewer youth planning to drink in the next 6 months
• Fewer youth drinking alcohol in the past 30 days
• Fewer youth drinking heavily during the past 30 days
• Less heavy alcohol use

Funding: Contact: Costs were not identified - may vary from community to community. Paula Jones NIMCO Incorporated P.O. box 9 Calhoun, KY 42327-0009 800.962.6662 x 114 paula@nimcoinc.com Jurisdiction Size: Multi-jurisdictional