Project Grant NH28CE004206

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Lymes Youth Service Bureau, Inc. $125,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) to support the Lyme-Old Lyme Prevention Coalition's substance abuse prevention efforts for youth in Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut.

The coalition operates across two southeastern Connecticut communities: Lyme (population 2,390) and Old Lyme (population 7,648). Regional School District 18 serves approximately 1,200 students from both towns with a 94 percent graduation rate. Among students in grades 6–12, alcohol is the most commonly used substance at 6.53 percent past 30-day use, followed by marijuana at 4.81 percent and cigarettes at 1.2 percent. Lifetime usage among high school students (grades 9–12) reaches 31.1 percent for alcohol and 18.8 percent for marijuana. The funding supports the coalition's work to prevent and reduce youth substance use by establishing and strengthening community collaborations among public and private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments. The DFC Support Program's statutory goals include reducing substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing risk factors and promoting protective factors in the community. The award period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Performance is located in Connecticut.