Project Grant NH28CE004176

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Community Services Office of Hot Springs and Garland County Arkansas $125,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) to lead the Hot Springs/Garland County Drug Free Communities Coalition in preventing youth substance use across Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The coalition will implement a multi-level prevention strategy targeting zip codes 71901, 71913, and 71909 to reduce alcohol and marijuana use among middle and high school students. The initiative applies the Strategic Prevention Framework and Seven Strategies for Community-Level Change to address high rates of early substance use, low risk perception, and easy access to drugs. The 12-month action plan focuses on changing access, increasing awareness, building youth skills, and advocating for local policy changes. Key partners include schools, law enforcement, youth-serving organizations, healthcare providers, and local media. Youth engagement is central, with a Youth Advisory Committee co-leading campaigns and advising strategy.

Community Services Office serves as fiscal agent and provides administrative and evaluation infrastructure. Evaluation will track process and outcome measures using APNA and YRBS data with a continuous quality improvement system guiding implementation. By year five, the coalition targets reductions in 30-day alcohol and marijuana use, increased youth perception of harm, improved retail compliance, and passage of policies such as social host ordinances.

The award period extends from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Performance occurs in Hot Springs, Arkansas.