Drug free coweta is a 8-year old community coalition that aims to positively impact youth to reduce substance-using behaviors and environment that may result in unintended, negative consequences -…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $125,000 to Association Of Village Pride Inc. on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program (CFDA 93.276) to support the Drug Free Coweta community coalition's substance abuse prevention efforts.

Drug Free Coweta will address opioid and marijuana misuse among youth in Coweta County, Georgia through years 6 to 10 of the coalition's operation. The project will empower parents and caregivers to recognize risk factors in the home environment and increase youth knowledge and awareness of substance use and impaired driving among students in grades 6–12. Activities include evidence-based education, peer-led programming, and interactive prevention efforts such as camps, simulations, monthly sessions, and schoolwide campaigns. In year 6, the coalition will partner with schools, law enforcement, and community organizations to host a youth summit, camps, and monthly drug prevention education workshops targeting at least 100 youth with measurable outcomes and real-life applicability.

The funding supports a five-year period of performance from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, in Coweta County, Georgia. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program establishes and strengthens community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance use among youth through collaboration among public and private nonprofit agencies, federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Drug Free Coweta, an eight-year-old coalition, was previously awarded SAMHSA STR Opioid funding in 2017 and Drug-Free Communities Support Program year 1 funding in 2020. The county's proximity to Atlanta International Airport, Alabama, and Interstate 85 creates particular vulnerability to drug trafficking.

Drug free coweta is a 8-year old community coalition that aims to positively impact youth to reduce substance-using behaviors and environment that may result in unintended, negative consequences - in 2017, coweta county was identified as 1 of 4 high-needs georgia communities and was awarded a samhsa STR opioid grant to combat the epidemic. Later, in 2020, coweta county was awarded a drug-free communities support program year 1 grant to continue addressing and reducing youth substance use. Due to the proximity of coweta county to the atlanta international airport (20 minutes), alabama (50 miles), and I85, which runs through the county, the rapidly growing area is particularly vulnerable to drug traffic. In response, the drug free coweta project for years 6 to 10 aims to continue addressing the misuse of opioids and marijuana, which are still the top priority concerns. We will empower parents and caregivers to recognize and identify potential risk factors in the home environment. Over the next five years, we will continue to increase youth knowledge and awareness of substance use and impaired driving, promote safe decision-making, and reduce risky behaviors among students in grades 6-12 in coweta county. The project will engage youth through evidence-based education, peer-led programming, and interactive prevention activities such as camps, simulations, monthly sessions, and schoolwide campaigns. In year 6, we will strategically partner with schools, law enforcement, and community organizations to begin foundational education efforts. This will include hosting a youth summit, camps, and monthly drug prevention education workshops to reach at least 100 youth in coweta county, with a focus on measurable outcomes, accountability solutions, and real-life applicability.