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The KC STAAR Program is reporting a considerable decline in alcohol consumption among students in the area school districts they operate. KC STAAR stands for Keokuk County Schools Tactics for Alcohol Abuse Reduction. Lynne Zoulek is the director of the program. According to Zoulek, when they started in 2008 14-percent of 6-12th grade students said they took part in binge drinking on a regular basis.

Zoulek says looking at their latest survey this past spring that number was down to 6-percent, a 50-percent drop.

Zoulek attributes the decline to higher community awareness of the issue, more parents talking to their kids about drinking, and their KC STAAR action teams in each school identifying alternative activities.

KC STAAR serves Pekin, Keota, Sigourney, and Tri-County school districts and is primarily grant funded.