By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


A grant has been awarded that will help one area-organization continue their fight for ending underage drinking.

The Huron Valley Community Coalition has been awarded a $200,000 grant from The Sober Truth on Preventing, or STOP, Underage Drinking. The STOP grant will be awarded in $50,000 dollar amounts over the next 4 years to help prevent underage drinking among Huron Valley Schools students. With marijuana, vaping, and prescription drugs more and more prevalent, alcohol is still the most commonly used drug by teens.

Coalition Executive Director Randy Root says they have some big goals for the funds. He told WHMI that right now, their past-30 day use of alcohol number in teens is 23%. At the end of the grant period in 2024, they hope to reduce that number to 15%. He says that’s a pretty significant drop when you think about how many fewer kids would be drinking and driving.

Root says the money will be used on things like billboards, fliers, and social media posts to remind people that it’s illegal to serve alcohol to minors. The grant will help the Coalition reach more people, teaching adults the legal consequences, and how to secure alcohol in their homes. Root says it will also allow for the Coalition to provide overtime pay for police to perform additional retailer compliance checks. But Root says they also want to give parents examples of how to talk to their kids about their expectations regarding alcohol use. He believes parents need to understand that kids are looking for that type of guidance and care about what their parents say.

For more information on the Huron Valley Community Coalition, or to find volunteer opportunities with them, visit their website through the link below.