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In April, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati will release the latest local data from the Pride Student Drug Use Survey. Sponsored by CDFGC every two years, the data serves as the driver for youth drug and alcohol prevention programs at all levels, across the region.

Assessing the scope of the problem is necessary to gain a clear, unbiased understanding of the issues. The survey results help paint the picture of youth substance abuse patterns, including what influences those key, sometimes life changing, decisions. The findings help direct efforts to where we can be the most effective, honing our resources to address key influences, rather than guessing and hoping our work is on target.

But how can local coalitions use survey data from the Pride Student Drug Use survey to make it more meaningful to their community without it being all about “numbers”? Here are some tips to get the most effective usage out of your survey results:

1. Use it to increase community readiness and plan, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of your environmental prevention strategies.
2. Use the data to identify specific training needs for your coalition.
3. Build stronger partnerships locally and to bring more people into your coalition.
4. Do a media release to show the data on your local radio stations and television networks.
5. Include data in presentations, town hall/community meetings and use it to create a brief community report or fact sheet, postcards, public service announcements, billboards, and mass mailings to reach community.
6. Use it to support your coalition’s case for drug-free policies and ordinances.
7. Use the data collected to apply for local, state, and national funding to expand targeted drug prevention and treatment programs in your community.
8. Present it to your state and federal legislators to drive legislation and support the expansion of funding for prevention and coaliton building.
   

For more questions, contact Tommy Koopman.

See how the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati uses Student Drug Use Survey Data.