Editor's note: We introduce to you a new column on the Border Region Coalition for a Drug-Free Doña Ana County, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico. The column, which will run every other Tuesday, will explore ways to prevent substance abuse among our county's young people.

Unified prevention is what the Border Region Coalition (BRC) for a Drug-Free Do-a Ana County is all about.

The group, formed in 2009 as an initiative of the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, works to establish and strengthen collaboration among the community to prevent substance abuse among young people. Funded with a five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the BRC draws from a variety of sectors in the community for thorough outreach and prevention. These sectors include law enforcement, youth organizations, government agencies, state and local substance abuse agencies, parents, youth, businesses, media groups, civic organizations, schools, faith community and health care professionals.

"We are making a well-rounded effort as a coalition," said Jaylene Watkins McIntosh, coalition coordinator for the BRC. "This is a grassroots group that is making extraordinary changes among our youth. We are showing them that they have a choice to make positive decisions when it comes to substance use."

The BRC is active at a time when area youth are seeking out alcohol, tobacco and prescription and

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illegal drugs, as shown in results from the 2009 Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, which was administered in the fall of 2009 to 1,228 students from three different school districts and seven different high schools in Do-a Ana County. The survey showed in 2009, 40.1 percent of teens reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage in the last 30 days, 51.1 percent reported they had smoked cigarettes and 20.6 percent reported using marijuana, showing a significantly greater percentage of Do-a Ana County teens used marijuana than in New Mexico and in the U.S. before the age of 13 years. Most alarmingly, 11.5 percent said they used prescription pain killers within the past 30 days to get high, a figure that represents an abrupt increase in prescription drug use from 2.9 percent in 2007.

Using environmental strategies identified by SAMHSA, the BRC is developing and implementing strategic plans to reduce underage drinking and tobacco use and illegal drug use by identifying the problems that lead to the use. Once the problems are identified, the group addresses them by selecting environmental strategies that have shown effective in reducing the problem and identifies activities to implement the strategies.

The BRC recently implemented an environmental strategy in partnership with Las Cruces Youth Soccer (formerly High Noon Soccer), when the league incorporated a new policy banning any tobacco or alcohol brands or references on players' soccer jerseys. Because the new policy was made during mid-year of league play, some teams had replica jerseys of professional, Mexican soccer teams containing a specific beer brand. As an incentive to the league for incorporating the new policy, the BRC provided new jerseys to replace those in violation. In addition, the BRC awarded a jersey sponsorship to one new team as an introduction to an annual Drug Free Jersey Sponsorship Program, which will be developed this year.

"This is an example of what we, as a coalition, can accomplish when we reach out to the community," Watkins McIntosh said. "The BRC understands that a community can accomplish so much more than the efforts of an individual."

A Community that's Aware is a Community that Cares is submitted by Charlotte Tallman, media campaign coordinator for the Unified Prevention! Border Region Coalition (BRC) for a Drug-Free Do-a Ana County. For more information on the coalition, visit www.unifiedprevention.com or contact Jaylene Watkins McIntosh at (575) 521-4794 or jaylene@cfsnm.org.