Orange Partnership started in 2008 as an initiative of the Community Health Assessment, under Healthy Carolinians of Orange County.  In 2007, and again in 2017, coalition stakeholders identified 3 local conditions: 

1. Availability -
   1. specifically concerning easy availability of alcohol, prescription drugs and vape products 
2. Community Norms - 
   1. Parents allow youth use 
   2. Peers use with no interventions or impunity 
   3. Events where underage and/or excessive drinking is allowed to occur 
   4. Inconsistent policies and/or procedures for consequences 
3. Low Perception of Harm
   1. Lmited formal (scientific-based) education 
   2. Parents/adults do not talk frequently with adolescents about potential harms related to youth use 
   3. No consistent messages 

Strategies identified by coalition members to make effetive, long term, environmental changes focused on reducing access, increasing barriers, changes consequences and modifying policies.  Future priority interest include addressing Nicotine - with priority around addressing access and access to interventions and cessation and mental health.  Discussion was had around needing to discern if we keep all of the other priorities or not as any grants will require specific action plans.

As of 2022, the primary grant supporting coalition efforts, through Drug Free Communities (DFC) ends on September 30, 2022, which supported the cozalition with funds to make a difference in the community.  This includes materials, printing, staff time and prescroption drug misuse or youth cannabis use. 

Alliance Health, Boomerang, Boy Scouts of America, Criminal Justice Resource Department, NC Department of Public Safety, Eno River State Park, Family Success Alliance, Freedom House Recovery Center, Hillsborough Pharmacy, Hillsborough Police Department, Hillsborough Recovery Solutions, Insight NC, Juvenile Justice - Orange County, News of Orange, NC Wildlife Agency, OC ABC Board, OC Department of Social Services, OC Health Department, Orange County Schools, OC Sheriff Office, Reintegration Support Network, Safe Kids O and Volunteers for Youth

We are a partnership between community members and various agencies, schools and organizations in Hillsborough and rural Orange County concerned about the issue of underage drinking and drug use. Using an environmental perspective, we address youth access to alcohol, policy enforcement, youth empowerment and social norms.

We envision a community where young people live safe, healthy and productive lives free from alcohol and drugs. We hope to accomplish this through collaboration, education, policy, advocacy and empowering youth.  Our vision is for a community in which all young people can live healthy and productive lives, free from the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Parents:

• The Safe Homes Network is a community of parents and other adults who have pledged NOT to provide alcohol, tobacco or other drugs to youth. They are promising to make reasonable efforts to ensure that youth are not obtaining or using these substances in their home or on their property.

  The partnership gives network members a directory of others who have signed the pledge. We will also keep members
  up-to date on the issue of youth substance abuse through a bi-annual e-newsletter where you can learn how to encourage others to join our efforts. Click the button below to join the Safe Homes Network

Youth 

• Our Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) is made up of high school students from Cedar Ridge and Orange High who are committed to doing their part to reduce youth alcohol and substance abuse in Hillsborough and rural Orange County. These young people educate their peers about the downsides of using drugs and alcohol but more importantly make real change to local policy, availability and how our community views underage drinking and drug use. 

Retailers

• The Responsible Retailers Initiative of the Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth recognizes local retailers who have made the commitment to responsible alcohol sales.

The Partnership is an initiative of Healthy Carolinians of Orange County and is housed at Freedom House Recovery Center. It is supported through community donations as well as local and federal grants, including the Orange County ABC Board and the Drug Free Communities Support Program.

Data used to help influence Orange Partnership is provided through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted within Orange County Schools. 

The results from the 2022 YRBS:

• Are non-responsive of the student body's behaviors and perceptions,
• Are non-random but convenient sampling
• Yielded a small sample size.  There were a total of 54 responses from high school students, out of 2,559 students and 77 responses from middle school students, out of 1,723 students.
• Requires for the students to opt-in versus opt-out
• Do not allow for a comparitive analysis

Questions to answer: 

1. Have we been successful? Why or why not?
   1. Yes, until COVID.  Stressors have impacted use, increased sales, are socially acceptable, new patterns of use +/-
2. Are there other strategies to be considered to effect change?
   1. Getting back to LEO operations,
   2. Continue education partnering with LEO
   3. Parent education