The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program - The Paterson 5th Ward Coalition for Prevention and Empowerment (P-C.o.P.E.) - Paterson, the third largest city in New Jersey, is also one of the most densely populated regions in the entire country (156,661 residents in 8.4 sq. mi.) (U.S. Census Bureau [UCB], 2024). Within its crowded borders, 23.7% of city residents live below the poverty line. These combined structural barriers (e.g., poverty and population density) have placed this economically disadvantaged community at heightened risk for many intractable social and public health problems, such as a high prevalence of substance misuse, a proliferation of gangs, and violent crime. Addressing this concern, the proposed project seeks to develop the infrastructure of an anti-drug coalition targeting Hispanic/Latinx and Black/African American adolescents in Paterson’s 5th Ward. As a collaborative effort between Montclair State University and a diverse group of community stakeholders, the Paterson Coalition for Prevention and Empowerment (P- C.o.P.E.) will introduce evidence-based environmental prevention strategies to meet the goals of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant Program, which are to: 1) increase community collaboration and 2) reduce substance use (e.g., tobacco/nicotine and marijuana/cannabinoids) among youth aged 12–18. Our objectives in meeting these goals are guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), and with DFC support, we seek to improve the assessment, capacity-building, planning, implementation, and evaluation capabilities of our Coalition. The Coalition will also work closely with 12 sectors of the community (e.g., youth, parent, business, media, school, youth-serving organization, religious, law enforcement, volunteer groups, healthcare professional, local governmental agency with expertise in substance use, and other organizations) in its effort to change social norms that promote substance misuse (through a social marketing/social norms campaign), reduce youth access to tobacco/nicotine and marijuana/cannabinoid products, and support policies that will improve the comprehensive regulation, and oversight of tobacco/nicotine and marijuana/cannabinoid-selling establishments (through licensing and compliance checks) and reduce its appeal to adolescents. Further, our intensive planning and implementation strategies prior to the inception of the project will facilitate sustainability activities that contribute to the permanent expansion of environmental prevention strategies throughout Paterson’s 5th Ward. In our ongoing work to mitigate the adverse social and health consequences associated with youth substance use, our ultimate goal is for P- C.o.P.E. to serve as a model prevention initiative that allows us to expand our scope of services to reach the broader community beyond the 5th Ward.
