The Fergus County Youth Alliance Taskforce aims to mobilize community members to combat underage drinking and substance abuse by addressing risk factors and enhancing protective factors through strategic enforcement and education. Key issues include high rates of youth alcohol consumption, its severe health impacts, and the need for collective action among businesses, parents, educators, and law enforcement. The taskforce emphasizes that community engagement and evidence-based strategies are essential for changing harmful attitudes toward alcohol and supporting youth health.

1. YOUTH
ALLIANCE
TASKFORCE
FERGUS COUNTY

2. MISSION
To establish a community collaboration that consists of
individuals, businesses and organizations which mobilizes
and challenges Fergus County adults to reduce the risk
factors and increase the protective factors associated with
underage drinking, youth binge drinking and substance
abuse in Fergus County by advancing strategic
enforcement, policy and education goals.

3. THE PROBLEM
A SIGNIFICANT BODY OF EVIDENCE HAS IDENTIFIED
FOUR UNDERLYING COMMUNITY CONDITIONS
CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM OF UNDERAGE AND
YOUTH BINGE DRINKING.
• Alcohol causes more harm for youth than all illegal drugs, combined!
• Underage and youth binge drinking are contributing factors to public health, safety and
quality of life indicators such as; injury, disease, crime, poor education outcomes and
workforce performance.
• Costs attributable to underage drinking alone total an estimated $_________ annually, for
Fergus County individuals, governments and businesses.
• Before the Youth Alcohol Taskforce, there was no comprehensive coordinated effort to address
underage and youth binge drinking in Fergus County despite data showing above the national
average.
• Citizens must be mobilized for change on alcohol – everyone shares in a collective
responsibility!

4. PROTECTIVE FACTORS
• Participation in positive social activities
• Support and nurturing from family and mentors
• School and community connectedness
• Success in academics
• Spirituality/religion
• Self-esteem
• Social support

5. RISK FACTORS
• Contributes to the likelihood of risky sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended,
and unprotected sexual activity, and sex with multiple partners
• Increases the risk of encountering legal problems, such as being arrested for drunk
driving or physically hurting someone while drunk
• Increases the risk of physical and sexual assault
• Increases the risk for suicide and homicide
• Increases the risk of memory problems
• Increases the risk of using and misusing other drugs
• Increases the risk of changes in brain development that may have life-long effects
• Is a risk factor for heavy drinking later in life, which can lead to other medical problems
(youth who start drinking before age 15 are almost 5 times more likely to develop alcohol
dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21)

6. ADULT AND YOUTH ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND
BEHAVIORS THAT SUPPORT UNDERAGE AND YOUTH
BINGE DRINKING AS A 'RITE-OF-PASSAGE' OR 'NO BIG
DEAL, IT’S ONLY ALCOHOL' OR 'EVERYONE’S DOING IT.

7. THE ANSWER
WHEN EVERYONE SHARES IN THE COLLECTIVE
RESPONSIBILITY AND USES EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES
TO CHANGE THE FOUR UNDERLYING COMMUNITY
CONDITIONS IDENTIFIED AS CONTRIBUTING TO THE
PROBLEM, THIS WILL PROVIDE THE ANSWER TO UNDERAGE
AND YOUTH BINGE DRINKING.
• Business
• Civic
• Education
• Faith
• Government
• Healthcare
• Judicial
• Law Enforcement
• Media
• Non-Profit
• Parents
• Youth

8. COLLECTIVE
ACTION
Creating effective
organizational structures
to plan, manage, and
implement collective
action for addressing
conditions identified as
contributing to the
problem.

9. BUSINESS
• Children and adolescents use alcohol 10 times more than all illegal drugs,
combined. Fergus County students report alcohol is easy to get.
• Nearly one-third of underage drinkers paid for the last alcohol they consumed.
Underage drinkers drank more on average if they paid for the alcohol (6.0 drinks)
than if they did not pay for the alcohol (3.9 drinks).
• Effective business policies and practices have proven to prohibit teens from buying
alcohol from their business. Businesses can also help reduce the possibility that
alcohol legally sold to an adult will end up in a teenager’s hands.
• Reduce costs to businesses. Underage drinking alone cost Montanans about $_____,
annually. Businesses share in this cost directly through lost productivity and
healthcare costs, and indirectly through government share of costs for enforcement,
prosecution and incarceration.

10. CIVIC
• Too many consider underage and youth binge drinking a rite of passage
to adulthood. Significant research has identified this adult belief as a
factor contributing to this behavior, along with the belief that there is
nothing adults can do to change youth drinking behavior.
• Parents dramatically underestimate teenage binge drinking. 33 percent
of teens binged in the past month and 3 percent of parents believed their
own teen binged in the past month. Parents need help to break through
denial and be empowered to act for change.
• Alcohol harms and kills more youth than all illegal drugs, combined. For
American youth under age 21; alcohol contributes to the top three causes
of preventable death (murder, suicide, car crashes) and to preventable
injuries from burns, drowning, assaults, STDs, and addiction.

11. EDUCATION
• Alcohol use undermines brain development. The brain goes through dynamic
changes during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously impact learning and
behavior. The brain’s hippocampus, responsible for learning and memory, can
be 10% smaller in underage drinkers.
• Schools are community institutions most likely to be exposed to youth alcohol
related problems. Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to have; higher
absences, poor grades and disruptive behaviors.
• Many adolescents start to drink at a very young age. The age of first use has
dropped to 13. Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times
more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at
age 21.

12. FAITH
• Because you care about strengthening families, and families are
challenged by this problem.
• Too many people consider underage and youth binge drinking a rite of
passage to adulthood. Significant research has identified this adult
belief as a factor contributing to this behavior, along with the belief
that there is nothing adults can do to change youth drinking
behavior. [U.S. Surgeon General’s Report]
• Parents dramatically underestimate teenage binge drinking. 33
percent of teens binged in the past month and 3 percent of parents
believed their own teen binged in the past month. Parents need help to
break through denial and be empowered to act for change. [Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention]

13. HEALTHCARE
• Reduce injury and improve health outcomes for children and adolescents. For
American youth; alcohol contributes to the top three causes of preventable
death (murder, suicide, car crashes) and to preventable injuries from burns,
drowning, assaults, STDs and addiction. [Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention]
• Reduce healthcare costs. Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the United States,
except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients, are being
used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption by
youth and adults.[Drug Abuse Warning Networks, SAMHSA Substance Abuse
Mental Health Services Administration]

14. JUDICIAL
• Reducing underage and youth binge drinking is a key to reducing and
preventing crime. [National District Attorney’s Association & U.S.
Department of Justice]
• Limiting youth access to alcohol is a key to the prevention of juvenile
delinquency. Fifty percent of criminal cases (assault, traffic, theft,
fraud, sex crime, etc.) in the juvenile justice system involve alcohol.
[Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S.
Department of Justice]

15. LAW ENFORCEMENT
• Reducing underage and youth binge drinking is a key to reducing and
preventing crime. [National District Attorney’s Association & U.S. Department
of Justice]
• The community at-large has expressed concern and supports increased (and
consistent and fair) enforcement of all cases involving youth and alcohol.

16. MEDIA
For interviews or additional information, please contact:
Marilyn Olson
Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
406.270.8479

17. NON-PROFITS
• Non-profits help shape our unique community culture and way of life. In addition
to doing some excellent helping work, they can have a big effect on the attitudes
and expectations of the general population in relation to youth and alcohol.
• Limiting youth access to alcohol is a key to the prevention of juvenile
delinquency. Fifty percent of criminal cases (assault, traffic, theft, fraud, sex
crime, etc.) in the juvenile justice system involve alcohol. [Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention] Private parties are the primary source by
which youth obtain alcohol, frequently lacking adult supervision. [Public Health
Report]
• Alcohol related incidents at sponsored events carry risks. Controlling alcohol at
sponsored events reduces serious alcohol related problems. Guidelines for reducing
risks and/or reasons for choosing to make an event alcohol-free can help mitigate
risk and limit youth access to alcohol.

18. PARENTS
• Too many consider underage and youth binge drinking a rite of passage to
adulthood. Significant research has identified this adult belief and the belief that
there is nothing adults can do to change youth drinking behaviors as contributing
factors. Research also provides evidence of effectiveness for strategies that can be
implemented by parents/adults. [U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action]
• Fergus County students report acquiring alcohol from someone in the
community. [Fergus County Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2015]
• Alcohol harms and kills more youth than all illegal drugs, combined. For American
youth; alcohol contributes to the top three causes of preventable death (murder,
suicide, car crashes) and to preventable injuries from burns, drowning, assaults,
STDs, and addiction. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

19. YOUTH
• Youth who tell it like it is, are effective advocates for change. Youth don’t
provide, promote or profit from alcohol – adults do. Youth who ask adults to
help stop underage drinking have a positive impact and can effectively help
limit youth access to alcohol.
• Private home parties are the primary source by which youth obtain
alcohol. Parties frequently lack adult supervision and are often a source for
other drug use, risky sexual behaviors, violence and vandalism. [Public Health
Report]
• Youth don’t provide, promote or profit from alcohol – adults do. Youth who ask
adults to help stop underage drinking have a positive impact and can
effectively help limit youth access to alcohol.

20. 2015 YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY
FERGUS COUNTY
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3

21. • First bullet point here
• Second bullet point here
• Third bullet point here
Group 1 Group 2
Class 1 82 95
Class 2 76 88
Class 3 84 90

22. STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK
• Sustainability
• Assessment
• Capacity
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

23. •Step 1: Assess Needs: What is the problem, and
how can I learn more?
•Step 2: Build Capacity: What do I have to work
with?
•Step 3: Plan: What should I do and how should
I do it?
•Step 4: Implement: How can I put my plan into
action?
•Step 5: Evaluate: Is my plan succeeding?
The 5 Steps of the SPF

24. RISK FACTORS
• Sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended, and unprotected
sexual activity, and sex with multiple partners
• Physical and sexual assault
• Legal problems, such as being arrested for drunk driving or
physically hurting someone while drunk
• Suicide and homicide
• Memory problems
• Using and misusing other drugs
• Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects
• Heavy drinking later in life, which can lead to other medical
problems