The Laconia Youth Alliance

Addressing the full range of public health and social determinants needs.

The Laconia Youth Alliance does not provide support for those in crisis. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, dial 988, 911 or visit your local emergency department.

WHAT IS LYA?

Laconia Youth Alliance (LYA) is a Drug-Free Communities Coalition located in Laconia, New Hampshire (NH). Our fiscal agent is the Partnership for Public Health (PPHNH), a non-profit health and human services organization that operates the Winnipesaukee Public Health agency, addressing the full range of public health needs and the social determinants of health. In 2014, LYA started as Stand Up Laconia, a group of dedicated community members who wanted to address substance use amongst youth and create lasting change. Over time the grassroots organization evolved into what’s now known as the Laconia Youth Alliance. The mission of the Laconia Youth Alliance is to bring together youth, families, schools, individuals, community partners, and community leaders to work collaboratively to prevent youth substance use, to improve the health and well-being of all members of the Laconia community. We partner with Laconia Middle and High Schools to lead our youth organization, Stand Up Sachems.

OBJECTIVES

LYA Coalition has two objectives, (1) strengthen the collaboration among Laconia youth, families, and stakeholders from all community sectors to prevent substance use among youth 18 and younger; and (2) minimize risk factors and promote protective factors, to reduce youth substance use. We will reach Laconia’s youth with environmental prevention, leveraging parental and community engagement to change the culture and context for youth substance use, and engage middle and high school students in targeted youth prevention and empowerment programming. LYA focuses on underage drinking, cannabis, vaping, and substance use prevention, which our Coalition has prioritized based on community needs assessment. New Hampshire has the highest rate of per capita consumption of alcohol in the United States. Nearly a third of our youth engage in underage drinking, and, compared to the New Hampshire average, 27% more of our youth initiate alcohol use before age 13. The number of Laconia youth first using marijuana under age 13 is more than twice the state average; 28% are current users, 20% above the state average. We will also address the prevention of vaping, a growing and serious problem impacting our youth because of ease of access and multiplication of marijuana’s risk to youth. 

The LYA Coalition regularly convenes community leaders from each of the 12 sectors to collect data and assessments, conduct strategic planning, and collaborate on prevention activities. Our comprehensive Action Plan will increase risk perceptions among youth and promote protective factors through the implementation of strategies for community-level change, guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework. Using evidence-based prevention strategies, we aim to limit access to substances, change the culture and shift the consequences of youth substance use, to create change specific to Laconia’s youth substance use problems.

HISTORICAL DATA

Located in the Lakes Region of central NH situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Lake, Laconia is an old mill city whose economic base has transitioned from manufacturing to recreation and tourism. Our tourism makes up 22.8% of NH’s tourist visits while reflecting only 8.5% of the state’s population. Our economy is a mostly seasonal one, creating fluctuations in economic hardship for families. A largely tourist and recreational economy creates a contrast between the “haves” (summer visitors) and “have nots” (year-round residents including service employees), and often does not impart rich financial benefits to the year-round residents/seasonal workers who make tourism possible. Laconia has more than double the NH rate of children living in poverty, with more than half living in low-income families. In addition to economic challenges, our youth experience higher than state average levels of adverse childhood experiences that put them at greater risk for substance use. To promote health equity, we will work to engage youth at higher risk due to low income and/or trauma.

WHAT WE DO

To address our objectives, the Laconia Youth Alliance has two main pillars:

1. Community Engagement

   a) LYA plans several substance-free community events each year that are free for community members.

   b) LYA shares resources by tabling at community events throughout the year.

2. Education

   a) LYA works with Laconia Middle and High Schools to educate caretakers on how to have conversations with kids about potentially harmful substances.

   b) LYA provides data to community members both on the website and at community events about substance use among children and teens.