The Keene Family YMCA Community Coalition on Youth Substance Use Working to Reduce Alcohol and E-Cigarette Use by Youth in the NH Communities of Keene and Swanzey New Hampshire. - The Keene Family YMCA Community Coalition on Youth Substance Misuse was awarded a FY 2019 Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant in the amount of $125,000 by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Coalition serves Keene and Swanzey, NH, communities of 22,949 & 7,144 people respectively with high use of alcohol and tobacco products.
The Keene Family YMCA Community Coalition on Youth Substance Misuse
The goals of the coalition are to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use. The coalition will achieve its goals by addressing the underlying causes of youth use of alcohol and tobacco, especially vaping, including social norms, high stress and anxiety, lower parental protective factors and youth access. Strategies used include increasing knowledge, building skills, increasing access to positive youth opportunities, decreasing access to alcohol and tobacco, increasing disincentives to use, and modifying municipal and school policies and procedures. The coalition will impact 2,000 youth and their families in the first year and 30,000 people over the lifetime of the project.