– In August of 2007, after tragic accidents in Lake County that claimed the lives of teens due to underage drinking and other drug use, several local leaders in Mundelein including the Mundelein Police Department, Nicasa Behavioral Health Services, and the Lake County After School Coalition (LCASC), formed the Mundelein STAND-UP Task Force to prevent such incidents from occurring in Mundelein. During the course of the next 10 years, STAND-UP secured state and federal grant funding, including The Office of National  Drug Control Policy’s Drug-Free Communities Grant, to address underage drinking and youth marijuana use and has made great successes in the community. 

Deputy Police Chief Don Hansen and Mundelein STAND-UP Task Force Chairperson said he is proud of the tremendous effort put forth by STAND-UP members all of these years to prevent and reduce underage drinking and other drug use.  “Mundelein is truly a community that comes together to keep teens healthy and safe by reducing access teens have to alcohol and other drugs and by educating the community about the health risks and other harms drug use can play in a child’s life. These initiatives have greatly contributed to our success as a community in achieving a decreased teen drinking rate over the past few years,” Hansen said.

According to the Illinois Youth Survey, since 2008, the percentage of high school students who reported drinking alcohol during the past 30 days decreased by 29%– down from 38% in 2008 to 27% in 2016.  In addition, binge drinking (4-5 drinks in one session) also decreased significantly from 28% of high school seniors reporting binge drinking during the past 2 weeks in 2008 to 18% in 2016.  10^th grade rates of binge drinking also decreased from 14% in 2008 to 5% in 2016. Similarly, fewer students reported using marijuana. In 2008, 14% of 10th grade students reporting using marijuana compared to 9% in 2016. The largest decrease for 12th grade marijuana use was from 2010 to 2016. In 2010, 25% of 12th graders reported using marijuana compared to 18% in 2016.

Bruce Johnson, CEO of Nicasa Behavioral Health Services and Project Director for STAND-UP, attributes Task Force successes to their multi-sector approach, data-driven strategies and substance abuse prevention best practices. Johnson noted, “During STAND-UP’s early years, founders knew that the key to our success would be recruiting the right people to the table who had the knowledge, skills and influence in the community to analyze local data and make informed decisions about the best ways to prevent teen drug use.  We have always had an impressive group of hard-working community members who are passionate about the cause.”  The Mundelein STAND-UP Task Force is comprised of community leaders, organizations, schools, police, churches, youth, parents, businesses, and neighbors. Johnson continued, “Our hope for the next ten years and beyond is that every student, parent and adult who influences children knows about STAND-UP and does their part to help us achieve our mission to keep kids healthy, safe and drug-free. We are excited to enter STAND-UP’s next chapter and hope for a future where teen drug use will be significantly decreased. To help reach that goal, STAND-UP recently incorporated as a not-for-profit organization to be able to generate support from diverse funding sources to keep programs and initiatives in place after federal funding ends.”

One of the strategies that STAND-UP implements to prevent teen substance use is a social norms marketing campaign called “Be the Majority.”  This campaign educates high school students that the majority of their peers does not drink alcohol or use marijuana, dispelling the myth that “everyone drinks alcohol or uses other drugs.”  Local data shows the opposite-that most Mundelein teens make healthy choices most of the time and don’t engage in underage drinking or other drug use. Other strategies include a marketing campaign to educate parents about the risks associated with hosting underage drinking parties, called the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” campaign. Specifically the campaign educates the community about the Mundelein Social Hosting Ordinance 9.80, which prohibits anyone from providing, permitting, or failing to prevent consumption of alcohol or illicit drugs by a minor. Violators can face fines up to $750 and associated costs. Additionally, the Mundelein Police Department conducts compliance checks among the alcohol retailers and enforces policies related to teen substance abuse.  Lastly, the Task Force utilizes a mock teen bedroom display with hidden drug paraphernalia to educate parents about the signs and symptoms of drug use.

Kim Radoy, STAND-UP Project Coordinator, says “Everyone associated with the Task Force is committed to educating youth and their parents about the dangerous consequences of alcohol and other drug use.  We know we are making progress in sharing our message but there is always more work to be done.”  Reflecting on the past decade, Radoy says, “I’m most proud of the work STAND-UP students accomplished. They helped pass local a local social host ordinance, organized town hall meetings, spearheaded a large pond clean-up project by Mundelein High School, debuted a contest to promote drug-free lifestyles called, “Photo Voice” and educated their peers through the, “Be the Majority” school marketing campaign. STAND-UP would not be where it is today without its students.”

As STAND-UP gears up for the Homecoming season, Deputy Chief Hansen urges Mundelein parents to provide alcohol and drug-free places for teens to hang out so there are no incidents of underage drinking or other drug use and everyone arrives home safely after the weekend’s activities. According to Deputy Chief Hansen, “parents have the opportunity to keep their kids safe by making sure alcohol and other drugs are not accessible in their home over the Homecoming weekend, and throughout the year.” 

Mundelein STAND-UP Invites All to Make a Difference by Joining the Movement
Although fewer Mundelein teens drink alcohol or use other drugs like marijuana, there is still work to be done.  Underage drinking remains the number one drug of choice for Mundelein youth and poses a range of risks and negative consequences including damage to the still developing teen brain, increased risk for addiction and alcohol related problems, poor performance at school, risk of injury and death, and increased violence and sexual assaults.  Marijuana use during the teen years can also permanently change the functions and structure of the still developing brain causing changes such as increased risk of mental health disorders, learning impairments and decreased academic performance, decreased problem solving capabilities, and difficulty with memory.

You can be a part of STAND-UP and help us achieve a healthy, safe, and drug-free Mundelein. Join us at an upcoming meeting to learn more, visit us here  or contact Deputy Chief Don Hansen at (847) 968-3779. The Task Force meets the second Thursday of every month at the Mundelein Police Department from 8:30 am – 10:00 am.  Meetings are free and open to the public.