Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education (BLADE) Coalition: Community-Based Prevention of Opioid, Methamphetamine, and Prescription Drug Misuse in Crow Wing County, Minnesota - Applicant Name: BLADE (Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education) Coalition Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project: Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education (BLADE) Coalition: Community-Based Prevention of Opioid, Methamphetamine, and Prescription Drug Misuse in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Project Abstract: The Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education (BLADE) Coalition was formed in 2019 as a community-driven entity dedicated to preventing youth substance use in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. With Drug-Free Communities (DFC) funding, BLADE has built a proven, multi-sector coalition infrastructure — forging lasting partnerships across schools, law enforcement, healthcare, local government, faith communities, and youth-serving organizations throughout the Brainerd Lakes Area, implementing evidence-based Policy, System, and Environmental (PSE) change strategies targeting alcohol, tobacco/vaping, and marijuana among youth in grades 6–12 through the Know The Truth Prevention Program™ and individualized youth peer support services across seven partner schools. The CARA Local Drug Crisis Grant will allow BLADE to build on this foundation and expand prevention efforts to address opioid misuse, methamphetamine use, and prescription drug misuse in Crow Wing County. Minnesota recorded 994 drug overdose deaths in 2024, with opioids involved in 68% of cases, and American Indian and Alaska Native Minnesotans dying at six times the rate of all other groups combined — a crisis acutely present in neighboring tribal communities. Under CARA, BLADE will pursue two goals: (1) reduce and prevent opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth, and (2) change community norms around the acceptability of these substances. Strategies include expanded school-based curriculum reaching approximately 4,500 students annually, lived experience speaker events, community education events for parents and professionals, youth civic advocacy training, and culturally responsive programming partnerships with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Expected Year 1 outcomes include increased community awareness, strengthened youth protective factors, and reduced acceptability of substance use — building toward long-term reductions in youth drug use across the region.
