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For Immediate Release  

Madison Chatham Coalition awarded $125,000 grant to prevent underage substance use

(Madison, NJ) – September 21, 2022 – Earlier last month, at the Putnam Wellness Coalition in Hurricane, West Virginia, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP) announced approximately $12.4 million in grants for 99 new coalitions across the country as part of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program’s new awards for Fiscal Year 2022. The grants support President Biden’s Strategy to beat the overdose epidemic by providing funding to community coalitions working to prevent youth substance use, including prescription drugs, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol.  

We are pleased to announce that Madison Chatham Coalition from Madison and Chatham, New Jersey is one of the grant recipients and will receive $125,000 in DFC grant funds to involve and engage the local community to prevent substance use among youth. The Madison Chatham Coalition has been awarded the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grant for an additional five years. Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grants are awarded through a partnership between the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Madison Area YMCA serves as the fiscal agent of the Madison Chatham Coalition. 

“The Madison Chatham Coalition is grateful for the opportunity to continue to prevent and reduce youth substance use in Madison and Chatham thanks to the Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant. It is because of this funding, along with the dedication of the Coalition’s committed volunteers, that we can continue to engage community members in our efforts to empower youth to make healthy choices, free from drugs and alcohol,” said Madison Chatham Coalition Director Allison Bardon. “We are thankful for the support and dedication of our members and community partners over the past five years and we are eager to further our substance abuse prevention efforts as we look towards the future.”  

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) announced that a combined total of $500,000 in federal grants from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program have been awarded to local coalitions in New Jersey to continue their efforts in combating the opioid epidemic, and in preventing and reducing substance use and abuse among young people across the state. 

The grants are designed to: 

• Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private nonprofit agencies, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.
• Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

“Adolescence is a critical period to prevent the initiation of substance use when the developing brain is particularly vulnerable,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of ONDCP. “Research shows that youth substance use decreased significantly in communities served by a DFC-funded community coalition. This funding for communities reinforces our commitment to preventing youth substance use as part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda to beat the overdose epidemic. By investing in evidence-based prevention strategies like this, we can continue to instead help our youth reach their full potential.” 

The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. 

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Sources:  
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2022/08/18/white-house-announces-new-funding-for-youth-substance-use-prevention-groups-across-the-country-as-part-of-president-bidens-strategy-to-beat-the-overdose-epidemic/ 

https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-booker-announce-500k-to-reduce-drug-use-among-nj-youth