Kilmer Announces White House Funding to Combat Youth Substance Abuse in Tacoma
TACOMA, WA – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has approved a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program Grant of $125,000 to the Prevent! Tacoma Drug-Free Coalition. This grant is part of a national investment of approximately $20.5 million in youth substance use prevention announced by the Biden Administration today.
“Communities across America shouldn’t be alone in the struggle to help our friends and neighbors, including young people, facing addiction and issues related to substance abuse,” said Rep. Kilmer. “Today’s announcement to help combat youth substance abuse in Tacoma isn’t just an investment in the community; it’s an investment in our future – in our kids. By implementing initiatives like LifeSkills Training in our schools and providing additional resources to parents, we can help protect the next generation from the dangers of substance abuse.”
As a supporter of substance abuse prevention programs, Rep. Kilmer has consistently advocated for federal initiatives like the DFC Program, which has now funded 751 community coalitions, the highest in its 25-year history. This grant will be used to establish and strengthen community collaborations for preventing youth substance use in Tacoma. Among its strategies, the Prevent! Tacoma Drug-Free Coalition plans to increase collaboration among community partners and implement evidence-based practices such as LifeSkills Training classes in schools and parenting workshops based on Guiding Good Choices.
The DFC Program, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is designed to mobilize communities in a multi-disciplinary manner to prevent youth substance use. The program mandates the involvement of multiple sectors of the community and employs various strategies to reduce youth substance use. This includes ongoing community assessments that guide the planning and implementation of community-wide strategies that tackle these social issues.
For further details about the grant and coalition efforts, please visit ONDCP’s grant programs webpage.
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