Project Grant NH28CE004120

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the City of East Providence $125,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program (CFDA 93.276) to support the East Providence Prevention Coalition's efforts to reduce youth substance use and strengthen community capacity.

The East Providence Prevention Coalition will reduce youth alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use through individual and environmental-level strategies addressing risk factors and strengthening protective factors, including shifting peer and community norms by engaging youth as leaders in campaigns and peer mentoring. The coalition, which has operated for over 30 years, is composed of youth, parents, schools, law enforcement, healthcare, and other stakeholders. Its youth arm, the East Providence Youth Council, contributes significant volunteer engagement—over 3,800 hours since 2022—and shapes prevention strategies, messaging, policy advocacy, and peer outreach. The coalition received national recognition as an Office of National Drug Control Policy Blue Ribbon Coalition and CADCA's Coalition of the Year in 2023.

The award covers performance from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with place of performance in Rhode Island. The DFC Support Program's statutory purpose is to establish and strengthen collaboration among community coalitions, public and private nonprofits, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. Recipients must demonstrate prior coalition work of at least six months, maintain substantial community volunteer effort, provide a 100–150 percent cash or in-kind match, and participate in program evaluation.