The Montgomery Institute and Community Health Improvement Network’s Drug-Free Communities Coalition has received a $124,907 federal grant to help reduce youth substance use in Meridian and Lauderdale County, the coalition announced Friday.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant was awarded through the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Altogether, $94 million in new funding was awarded to 750 community coalitions nationwide working to prevent youth substance use.

“This CDC award serves as another tool towards improving overall health in our community,” said Beverly Knox, president of The Montgomery Institute. “Preparing our youth by teaching the dangers of marijuana and opioid use starting at age 12 will help them make healthy, drug-free choices as young adults.”

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program, created in 1997, funds community-based coalitions that bring together multiple sectors of the community to prevent substance use among young people.

In all, five Mississippi coalitions received grants totaling $625,000 for the 2024 fiscal year. The other four include the Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning Coalition in Ridgeland, Mississippi State University’s Prevention and Wellness Starkville, the Solid Ground Drug-Free Coalition in Booneville and the University of Mississippi’s North Mississippi Coalition in Oxford.

The CDC’s primary focus is keeping the nation’s youth healthy by understanding the challenges they face and giving them the tools they need to prosper, CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry said in a news release earlier this month announcing this year’s grant recipients.

“Although CDC data over the last 10 years have shown improvement, there are still too many youths using and misusing substances,” Houry said. “Our understanding of the problem facing America’s youth, coupled with our continued efforts to provide community grants like these to help those in need, have yielded results; however, we still have a long ways to go to keep our kids safe from the dangers of substance abuse.”

This grant’s initiative builds on The Montgomery Institute and CHIN’s ongoing commitment to improving health and well-being in the community by providing critical education and resources.

Knox said the Drug-Free Communities Coalition will begin focusing on preventing youth substance use at the end of the month, particularly among those ages 12 to 18. By promoting community collaboration and implementing strategies that target youth marijuana and opioid use, the coalition aims to reduce substance use rates through educational programming and by training peer influencers who can have a positive impact on their peers.