Community –The Anti-Drug (CTAD) has been awarded a $625,000 federal grant. This Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant, funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, is a matching grant providing $125,000 per year over five years, with the potential to be renewed for an additional five years.
The Drug-Free Communities 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, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 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.
Both Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering are strong advocates of CTAD and value its efforts to discourage alcohol and drug use among their communities’ youth.
“The City of Highland Park is pleased and honored to be partnering with CTAD. Our commitment to substance abuse education and prevention is unwavering,” said Mayor Rotering. “The grant CTAD has received is the result of a collaborative effort by community partners and is the next, right step in an investment in our youth. The funding means that we will have a greater chance of reaching adolescents before they are exposed to drugs and alcohol, and diminish the risk of addiction, and increase the likelihood of success in school and beyond.”
“The Village of Deerfield takes the work of CTAD very seriously,” added Mayor Rosenthal. “The Village has been and continues to be totally committed to reducing the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs among our teens. We wholeheartedly support the efforts of CTAD, our continued partnership with them, and the goal of helping our teens become successful students and citizens. We congratulate CTAD on its DFC grant as it will allow for the immediate work that must be done.”
Along with financial support from local foundations—including Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park, YEA! Highland Park, and Community Foundation of Highland Park—this national grant will allow the CTAD coalition to work on substance abuse education and prevention aimed at long-lasting, positive change.
“The volunteers leading CTAD are thrilled to receive this grant,” said Dr. Patrick Sassen, Co-President of CTAD and Assistant Principal of Highland Park High School. “These funds will provide the coalition with the operating capacity and sustainability toward bringing real environmental change in the area of adolescent substance abuse within our five communities.”
