Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Reducing alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use by Dededo youth through education prevention strategies. - WestCare Pacific Islands, Inc. (WPI) will create an evidence-based Drug Free Communities Support Program entitled the Coalition for a Drug Free Dededo (CDFD) for youth (individuals 18 years of age and younger) in ZIP codes 96929 and 96912 in the Village of Dededo, Guam. Dededo is the most populated village in the United States territory of Guam. Since the existence of WPI in 2009, its partners and collaborators have worked together on substance abuse reduction initiatives that identify and address local youth substance problems. There is a significant implication for effective service delivery, highlighting the need for culturally competent communications and services for close to half of the island’s population. Within the village of Dededo 51% of the population is born outside of Guam, comprised of a variety of nationalities in addition to native Pacific Islanders which oftentimes creates significant language barriers. Not only are there language barriers for these individuals in the community at large, and between parents and their children (8% of the population in Dededo is between 10 and 19 years old), but there are often languages barriers within the media and advertising. As evidenced by the Guam data presented by Guam’s State Epidemiological Workgroup (SEW), there is a high prevalence of detrimental social, economic, and health consequences arising from tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use and abuse, including underage drinking and smoking on Guam. Substance abuse prevention is addressed as a major public health priority for the island proving significant gaps in the current state-level infrastructure. The CDFD goals include increasing community collaboration and decreasing Youth Substance Use; (Alcohol, Marijuana, and Tobacco) and drug deaths related to overdose. There will be an increase in the membership of the CDFD, existing resources and gaps to address CDFD goals will be identified. There will be increased internal capacity to prevent youth substance use and overdose deaths. Needs assessments will be conducted and skills training will be provided to increase knowledge of CDFD members. The CDFD will serve 1,569 individuals annually and 7,845 throughout the lifetime of the project.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).