WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has awarded a total of $2,250,000 in grant funding to several Maine health coalitions to prevent youth substance abuse and foster drug-free communities in Maine. Of that funding, $375,000 will be allocated for three new grant awards while the remaining funding will be allocated to seven projects in the state that have previously received funding from ONDCP.

“The opioid epidemic is taking an unimaginable toll on families across Maine, which is why investing in community coalitions is so important,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “These coalitions are determined to support our young people and turn the tide against this epidemic, and we will continue to work to combat the drug crisis and help ensure that future generations of Mainers can live happy and healthy lives.”

The funding comes through ONDCP’s Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The program provides a matching federal grant where each community provides a minimum of a one-to-one match in local funding for each federal dollar awarded. According to the ONDCP, a DFC National Evaluation Report conducted in 2014 concluded that among middle and high school students across the nation, DFC-funded community coalitions consistently have lower rates of past 30-day youth substance use. 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.

The breakdown of new and continuing grant awards for coalitions in Maine is below:

New Awards

SoPo Unite: All Ages, All In will receive $125,000 to serve the City of South Portland.

Choose To Be Healthy Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Southern York County.

Mid-Maine Substance Use Prevention Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Greater Waterville and Northern Kennebec County.

Continuing Awards

Sanford Strong Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Sanford.

Casco Bay CAN (Create Awareness Now) will receive $125,000 to serve Freeport, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland, North Yarmouth, Gray, New Gloucester, and Pownal.

Westbrook Communities that Care will receive $125,000 to serve the City of Westbrook.

Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition-Project Alliance will receive $125,000 to serve the City of Biddeford.

Be the Influence Coalition: A Windham-Raymond Collaborative will receive $125,000 to serve Windham and Raymond.

ACCESS Health will receive $125,000 to serve the Towns of Brunswick and Harpswell as well as Sagadahoc County.

Healthy Lincoln County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Lincoln County

Southern Kennebec Substance Abuse Work Group will receive $125,000 to serve Gardiner, Augusta and the capital area of central Maine.

Healthy Sebasticook Valley Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve the Sebasticook Valley region.

Bangor Public Health Advisory Board Substance Abuse Prevention will receive $125,000 to serve the City of Bangor.

Healthy Acadia will receive $125,000 to serve the Downeast Acadia region.

Community Alcohol and Drug Education Team (CADET)/ Aroostook will receive $125,000 to serve Aroostook County.

River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Dixfield, Mexico, Rumford, Bethel and other areas of Oxford County.

Healthy Aroostook Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Aroostook County.

Healthy Community Coalition will receive $125,000 to serve Greater Franklin County.

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