DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jennifer Herriott, MPH
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing an agreement with the University of Texas at San Antonio for the provision of epidemiological services for the Preventing Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Abuse project
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes an agreement with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and authorizes the acceptance of compensation from UTSA in the amount of $37,500.00 for the period November 30, 2019 through September 29, 2024, for San Antonio Metropolitan Heath District's (Metro Health's) activities supporting the Preventing Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Abuse (PAASA) project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Alcohol remains widely used by adolescents, teens, and young adults in the US. Although drinking in middle and high school has been declining since the 1990s (showing the efficacy of public health campaigns), some 8% of American 8th graders reported drinking an alcoholic beverage during the past month (Johnston et al., 2019), with the percentage increasing with age. These numbers are larger in Texas with 15% and 20% of 7th and 8th graders, respectively, reporting drinking alcohol in the past month, and 34% and 43% of these students reporting ever using alcohol.
Tafolla Middle School, located just west of downtown San Antonio and comprised primarily of economically disadvantaged (95.1%) and Latino students (96.5%), is no exception. The possession, sale, and use of marijuana are ongoing problems; according to the SAISD Discipline Report by Campus, these accounted for an annual average of 12 offenses from 2016-2018. There is a clear need for improvement in addressing underage alcohol use and abuse in Texas schools. In addition to risky behaviors like drunk driving, alcohol use can affect adolescent health at a biological level, including neural development and brain architecture (Squeglia and Gray, 2016). Longitudinal studies have found that heavy subst...
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