Healthy washco drug free communities project - prevalence rates of alcohol and tobacco use, particularly vaping, are the leading choices of substances for youth in washburn county

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $125,000 to County of Washburn on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) to establish and strengthen community collaboration focused on youth substance abuse prevention.

HealthyWashCo: CAP (Community Alliance for Prevention) will execute youth-led and peer prevention programming targeting alcohol, tobacco, and vaping use among Washburn County youth. The initiative engages young people in positive youth development and evidence-based prevention strategies at individual, family, community, and societal levels. During the five-year performance period through June 30, 2031, the recipient will double coalition participation, reduce high school alcohol use rates, implement policy change efforts to reduce youth access to target substances, and establish sustainability mechanisms within the coalition.

County of Washburn, a local government entity, serves as the recipient with place of performance in Wisconsin. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program requires community coalitions to demonstrate prior collaboration on substance abuse reduction initiatives for at least six months, meet composition requirements, maintain substantial volunteer effort, and provide a 100–150 percent cash or in-kind match. Recipients must submit annual Federal Financial Reports and performance reports, with final reports due at project completion.

Healthywashco: cap- community alliance for prevention is committed to engaging young people in youth-led prevention, peer prevention, and positive youth development to create a community of like-minded teens who want to be part of a solution. Social influences are central, powerful factors that influence experimentation or initiation of use. Youth want to improve the schools and communities they learn and live in, but they DON't know where to begin. As we increase community collaboration, we have the opportunity to support our young people in leading change efforts utilizing effective evidence-based prevention strategies individually, with families, in the community, and in society. During the project period, healthywashco: cap will double coalition participation, reduce high school alcohol use rates, take on the challenge of policy change, reduce youth access to the target substances and demonstrate sustainability within the coalition.