Schumer Announces $100,000 for Onondaga Cortland Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced $100,000 to the Onondaga Cortland Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services from the Office of National Drug Control Policys (ONDCP) DrugFree Communities Support Program. This money will be used by the Syracuse Onondaga Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission to reduce substance abuse among Onondaga, Cortland and Madison youth and build participation and encourage coordination of all sectors of the community involved in the effort to protect community youth.

This vital money will help Central New York in its fight against substance abuse among young people, said Schumer. Communities are the first line of defense when it comes to drug use, and have a responsibility to reduce and prevent its prevalence in the area. I will continue to fight to ensure organizations like this have the support they need to be effective.

The Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission will use the federal funds to decrease and prevent substance abuse by promoting effective community partnership, providing community education activities including the Talk to Your Kids About Drugs campaign, develop and implement a pilot program to stop methamphetamine production, and implement a program to address the environmental factors related to underage drinking and reduce youth alcohol use.

This past February, Schumer alerted communities throughout New York State to this funding opportunity. In a letter to local organizations, Schumer urged them to apply for these grants, and offered assistance with the process. Schumers efforts resulted in 11 programs in New York State receiving over $1 million in total.

The DrugFree Communities Support Program provides funding to local government, schools, law enforcement agencies, healthcare professionals and other organizations to reduce substance abuse among youth and adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse. The program seeks to establish and strengthen collaborations among communities, private nonprofit agencies and federal, state and local governments to support the efforts of community coalitions that prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. This year, 176 community coalitions are receiving first year funding for over $17 million nationwide. The Program supports 711 community coalitions operating in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and has awarded over $320 million in grant monies over the last seven years.