Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announces $375,000 for Youth Substance Use Prevention in Delaware

Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced that Delaware will receive a total of $375,000 from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. This investment comes as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, which has been dedicated to combating youth substance use for decades. These awards are part of an investment by the Biden-Harris Administration of approximately $70.4 million for substance use prevention for youth across the country. 

“I’ve long said a pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure, and today’s grant announcement strengthens our prevention efforts deep within our communities most in need,” said Senator Carper. “Delaware continues to see investments that tackle substance abuse and youth mental health, and I’m hopeful this will help those working on the front lines with their critical mission.” 

“Substance use disorder impacts so many Delawareans and their families up and down our state, especially among our kids,” said Senator Coons. “Greater federal investment in high-quality recovery services that make possible safe and secure environments through building community-based coalitions will help us tackle this pervasive issue and provide a support system that gives our kids a fighting chance at beating addiction. I’m so grateful for my team for leading this initiative and working closely with community organizations to secure this funding.”

“Substance use, especially among our young people, devastates individuals and our communities,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Health Subcommittee. “As a member of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force in Congress, I am dedicated to doing all I can to combat this crisis while increasing support for those who need it. I am grateful to community-led coalitions like those in Delaware for the work they do every day to save lives, and I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for making these critical local investments.”

The following Delaware organizations will receive a total of $125,000 each to support their youth substance use prevention programs:   

1. Impact Community Supports’ Wilmington United Youth Coalition, 
2. Edgemoor Community Center and Bellevue Community Center’s Planet Youth Coalition, and
3. Duffy’s Hope Inc.’s The Lighthouse Project Prevention Coalition. 

The Delaware awardees, along with the other DFC-funded coalitions across the country, play a critical role in the nation’s evidence-based drug prevention infrastructure, building capacity at the local level and engaging youth with messaging and resources tailored to their needs and the challenges they face. 

More information can be found here.

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