WARSAW — Drug Free Kosciusko coalition is an active group of community members committed to the mission to build hope and eliminate substance use among youth in Kosciusko County. 

Soon, the community will begin to see and hear messages that are focused on that mission. Drug Free Kosciusko will employ the use of the social norms theory. Social norms have been found to dramatically influence behavior. The social norms theory states that people’s behavior is influenced by what they perceive as normal. Most people, especially youth, misperceive what is normal of their peers. This can lead to increased rates of unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. 

The campaign messages, residents will begin to see and hear, reflect normative adult behavior related to underage drinking.  Social norms campaigns do not use scare tactics or stigmatize unhealthy behaviors. Instead, they are based on current, accurate information about the intended audience.  Social norms campaigns present healthy norms that already exist within a group; in this case, our county. 

Drug Free Kosciusko wants the public to know that most people have strong protective values for youth related to underage drinking.  That’s a good thing because protecting adolescent brain development from substances is an important step in reducing problem behaviors now and in the future.  We now know that our brain is not fully developed until the age of 26 or 28, and the part of the brain that helps us to problem-solve, and make connections within the brain that lead to better decision-making, is just not fully online until that age.  Allowing our youth to dabble in alcohol and marijuana simply stunts that development altogether. 

Drug Free Kosciusko is committed to change substance use statistics, and it starts with our youth.  Using methods based on prevention science, the coalition collects, analyzes, and prioritizes youth substance use data. 

Susanne Siebrase, coalition president states, “In Kosciusko County, we know that alcohol is by far the most used substance among youth in grades seventh through 12th grades, within all school districts.  We know that if we can reduce underage drinking now, and help youth create positive behaviors, the less time and money we’ll spend in the future trying to solve other substance use issues.  Alcohol use among youth is not a right of passage.  It’s a problem. According to Indiana Youth Survey data more than 25 percent of high school juniors and seniors use alcohol up to 19 times in the past month.” 

Drug Free Kosciusko will launch the most of Kosciusko campaign just before Christmas break.  Messages will be updated and change over time.  If you have questions regarding the campaign, or would like to get involved in the coalition, please contact Marsha Carey, Drug Free Kosciusko Coordinator at (574) 372-3528.