FY 2004 Continuation Drug-Free Communities Support Program

The Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council serves the suburban communities of Meriden and Wallingford, Connecticut which have a population of 110,000. The two goals of the coalition are to: 1) reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults; and 2) strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies and federal, state and local government agencies. In order to achieve these goals, the coalition will implement the following strategies:
1) increase the perception of the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs through youth programming that emphasizes drug refusal techniques and anti-drug attitudes;
2) implement creative programming for high-risk youth, including youth groups that focus on leadership development;
3) expand substance abuse prevention programming to address concerns for children growing up in households with alcohol and drug issues;
4) support drug-free alternative activities for youth; and
5) strengthen community coalition through strategic planning, leveraging additional funding, and membership development.CA/NCF