Campbell united - campbell county, tennessee, located in the northeastern appalachian region of the state, is a rural community of approximately 40,000 residents

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Schools Together Allowing No Drugs (STAND) $125,000 under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program (CFDA 93.276) on July 1, 2026, to establish and strengthen community coalition efforts preventing youth substance use in Campbell County, Tennessee.

STAND will implement a comprehensive, community-driven prevention strategy guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework and the Seven Strategies for Community Change. The Campbell United Anti-Drug Coalition (CUADC) will expand youth coalition membership, deliver school- and community-based prevention education addressing prescription drug misuse and marijuana use as priority substances, support education- and referral-based alternatives to punitive responses, and strengthen prevention messaging through coordinated action with schools, law enforcement, and healthcare providers. The coalition will engage youth and parents actively in environmental strategies to reduce youth access to marijuana and prescription drugs, targeting a rural Appalachian community of approximately 40,000 residents where Campbell County reported the highest drug overdose rate in Tennessee in 2022 and high opioid dispensing rates create substantial medication availability in homes.

The award funds performance from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with place of performance in Tennessee. STAND, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Oneida, Tennessee, specializes in substance abuse prevention and community capacity-building for underserved rural populations and currently holds related grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration focused on prevention and workforce training in the region.

While the county benefits from strong community ties and a small-town character, IT faces ongoing challenges related to economic hardship, limited healthcare access, and elevated rates of substance misuse. Campbell county ranks 87TH in child well-being among tennessee counties, with 25.3% of children living in financially strained households, high rates of chronic absenteeism, and nearly 10% of residents lacking health insurance. These conditions are associated with local risk factors that increase youth risk for substance use. The campbell united anti-drug coalition (cuadc) has identified prescription drug misuse and marijuana use as priority substances under this funding opportunity. Local data indicate early initiation, high levels of social access through siblings and peers, limited parent-child communication about substance-related risks, and a strong association between psychological distress and youth substance use. In 2022, campbell county reported the highest drug overdose rate in tennessee, and opioid dispensing rates remain high, increasing the availability of unused medications in homes. Cuadc will implement a comprehensive, community-driven prevention strategy guided by the strategic prevention framework and the seven strategies for community change. The coalition will leverage multi-sector collaboration, active youth and parent engagement, and data-driven environmental strategies to reduce youth access to marijuana and prescription drugs. Planned activities include expanding the youth coalition, implementing school- and community-based prevention education, supporting education- and referral-based alternatives to punitive responses, and strengthening communication through consistent, locally relevant prevention messaging. Through coordinated action with schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, youth, and other community partners, cuadc will address key local conditions related to availability, social access, community norms, and policy. By strengthening protective factors, reducing access, and reinforcing healthy norms, cuadc aims to achieve measurable reductions in youth substance use and build sustainable prevention capacity across campbell county.