SPIRIT

Community Partnership coordinates the SPIRIT school-based program in Carthage, in partnership with the Carthage School District. Carthage is one of five SPIRIT sites across the state funded by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. This program implements best practice substance abuse prevention curriculums in elementary, junior high, alternative, and high schools in Carthage.

Evaluation results over the initial five years of the program for the Carthage site indicated:

  1. past 30-day alcohol use is significantly lower than Missouri School Survey participants statewide;
  2. the age of first use of marijuana has increased from 12.83 to 13.58;
  3. the age of first use of alcohol has increased from 11.08 to 12.45; and
  4. the age of first use of tobacco has increased from 11.15 to 11.85.