Decatur Prevention Initiative

In the fourth and beginning final year of a five-year cycle the Drug-Free Communities Grant continued its programming. This grant focuses on building a Drug-Free Community Coalition with the participation of critical sectors within the City of Decatur GA. This grant implements the seven prevention strategies that have been identified to bring about community-level change in the area of underage alcohol use nicotine use and marijuana use for youth ages 9-18. DPI was recognized for our data-driven efforts with a "Got Outcomes: Designation 1 of 18 nationally. DPI has more than doubled its coalition members over the past year. The parent network has expanded to over 300 pledge members and friends while offering seven-speaker events during the pandemic. DPI maintained our presence in the local magazine which reaches every home in the city. DPI hosted multiple evidence-based programs in the schools.fourthan

DPI receives a four year Sober Truth on Underage Drinking ACT grant in the last quarter of 2022 and is now in its first full year. . This program addresses underage drinking ages 14-20. In partnership with the local high school and college DPI has begun implementing programming that will focus on building a college action team reaching parents of high school graduates and first-year college students providing opportunities to address driving under the influence of alcohol and addressing local policies on underage drinking.

DPI is a subrecipient of SAMHSA's Prevention Strategic Framework Partnership for Success Grant. This fiscal year covered part of our fourth and fifth final years with this program. The program focuses on youth and emerging young adults ages 14-24 and addresses underage and binge drinking and illicit drug use primarily prescription medications marijuana cocaine and opioid use. This project has successfully expanded community awareness with our PSA campaigns and evidence-based programs. One of the great accomplishments was gaining access to the local high school and college populations during a pandemic.