Monday, May 12, 2025
5/12/2025
Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning Coalition - The CDC has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic as it is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem. The proposed project will focus on all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs) and will help more youths avoid substance use/abuse, leading to more positive outcomes in adulthood with the opportunity to pursue greater opportunities. Youth.gov reports poverty and low educational attainment as a top contributor to youth substance abuse. The target area of Jackson, Madison, and Forest, MS, has a poverty rate of 22.4%, with 36.6% of the students within the Jackson School District and 29.1% of the Forest City School District students living in poverty. 12%, or 21,492, of the target area population over 25 does not have a high school degree or equivalent, 2 points higher than the US percent. While the nation’s dropout rate in 2021 was 5.2%, the dropout rate for MS was 8.8%. Geographically, I-55 and I-20 intersect in Jackson, MS. I-55 runs North to South, providing a thoroughfare from the Gulf Coast to Chicago. Running East to West, I-20 stretches from South Carolina to Texas. The Mississippi Drug Enforcement Agency has deemed the target area as the crossroads of drug trafficking. 16.1% of MS high school students stated they took prescription pain medicine without a doctor’s prescription, compared to 12.2% of the US. The percentage of students who have tried cocaine is almost double that of the US (MS: 4.8%, US: 2.5%). Heroin (MS: 4.4%, US: 1.3%), methamphetamines (MS:4.5%, US: 1.8%), ecstasy (MS: 6.5%, US: 2.9%), and injectables use or experimentation (MS: 3.9%, US: 1.4%), is more than double the national rate, some by as much as four times. In response to the statistics and based on the request of community members and educational leaders, the Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning (COOL) Coalition was formed. The COOL Coalition is an inclusive and diverse group of individuals and organizations in Central Mississippi dedicated to improving the health and well-being of residents by reducing youth substance use/abuse in the Central Mississippi communities of Jackson, Madison, and Forest, MS. The project will extend the coalition’s efforts into a sixth year, allowing for the refinement, maintenance, and sustainability of efforts embraced by the community, local organizations, and businesses. It will continue reducing youth (age 18 and under) use/abuse of four substances, surpassing the grant’s threshold of two. A recent focus group comprising a cross-section of the target area showed that drug and substance abuse is a continuing problem. The Coalition’s top priorities for efforts and initiatives form a two-pronged approach: increasing awareness while reducing substance use in youths. Considering the limited amount of geographic-specific data addressing trends and rate of usage, it is imperative to address community needs from both fronts, as there is a lack of knowledge and information available regarding the use of prescription medication as an illicit drug. The coalition collaborates with government agencies and boards of education. Collaboration is also seen among community businesses and places of worship. These collaborations include data gathering and analysis, leading and implementing initiatives, as well as providing volunteers and meeting spaces. By utilizing their areas of expertise, a synergy effect is created, and more can be accomplished when working together than individually. Short-term outcomes from the project will improve youth and adult knowledge of the patterns of youth substance use/abuse and the Coalition’s efforts to address the community’s youth substance use/abuse. This will lead to positive long-term outcomes that will create a community better equipped to address youth substance use/abuse. Preventing youth use/abuse of substances will reduce the number of adults who use/abuse, creating a greater equity in health and a more vibrant community.
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).