The Hudson County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community (DFC), with help from Partners in Prevention, has been awarded a grant to assist the Kearny Municipal Alliance in combatting youth substance abuse.
Michael Botticelli, director of National Drug Control Policy, announced that the coalition is one of nearly 700 agencies to receive funding totaling $86 million to devise strategies to help control minors’ abuse of prescription drugs, marijuana, tobacco and alcohol.
Botticelli said that the Hudson Coalition will receive $75,000 a year “to mentor the Kearny Municipal Alliance for up to two years” in this initiative.
“If successful,” the announcement said, “Kearny could receive $1.25 million in DFC grant funds [spread in installments over five years] to involve and engage their municipality in reducing alcohol and drug rates among youth.”
The Hudson Coalition has previously helped the Rutherford Coalition and Union City Municipal Alliance to secure DFC funding for their respective communities. Hudson also assists the Secaucus Municipal Coalition.
Retired Kearny Police Officer Jack Corbett, who serves as co-chairman of the Kearny Municipal Alliance, said that the KMA was gratified to hear about the mentoring grant. “We’re ready to get started on the next phase – qualifying for a DFC grant to continue the fight against substance abuse in Kearny.”
Part of that Phase 1 effort, said Corbett, will be the creation of a Kearny Prevention Coalition, which will be a “sub-set” of the Hudson Coalition. The KMA has already identified “underage drinking and prescription drug misuse” as its two priority targets.
