Cabarrus Health Alliance Drug Free Communities (DFC) Competitive Continuation Application, Years 6-10, to reduce and prevent youth substance use (alcohol and nicotine/tobacco) in Cabarrus County, NC. - The Healthy Cabarrus Substance Use Coalition was developed in 2014 in response to the identification of substance use as a priority issue in the 2012 Cabarrus County Community Needs Assessment. The coalition strives to serve all of Cabarrus County with targeted efforts in the larger municipalities of Concord and Kannapolis. The coalitions goal is to mobilize partners to build a healthier community by developing and implementing prevention strategies to address youth alcohol, tobacco, prescription, and other drug use. The coalition has had a long time focus on reducing prescription medication misuse and in 2017 underage drinking was added to prevention efforts. Since formation, the Coalition has focused on building its capacity, collecting local data, and building community awareness around substance use. The Coalition has successfully received support and engaged representatives from an array of sectors across the county, including: substance use organizations, healthcare, education, law enforcement, faith community, civic and volunteer organizations, youth, youth serving agencies, media, and local businesses. Due to these strong relationships, the coalition has successfully been able to educate teens on the dangers of underage drinking and prescription medication misuse.
