Governor Announces Community Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
JAMES H. DOUGLAS
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
For Immediate Release
Date: January 26, 2005
Contact: Jason Gibbs
(802) 828-3333
MONTPELIER—Governor Jim Douglas today announced substance abuse prevention grants totaling $19,600 to seven Vermont community organizations.
As part of the Governor’s Drug Education, Treatment, Enforcement, and Rehabilitation (D.E.T.E.R.) initiative, funds from the Health Department’s Community Prevention Grants Program help organizations and communities fill gaps in funding for prevention projects. New prevention projects intended to address a specific community need are also eligible for seed funds.
“Substance abuse is one of the greatest public health concerns we face today,” said Governor Douglas. “Through our D.E.T.E.R. prevention activities, we are helping our communities be healthier and safer and educating Vermonters about the dangers of substance abuse.”
Funds from this grant cycle will fund a variety of community-based projects.
- $6,000 to the RAIDers After School Program for an after school program for youth at Missisquoi Valley Union High School.
- $500 to the Franklin County Caring Communities Coalition to support one-day training on the current drug culture in Vermont for community members in Franklin and Grand Isle counties.
- $500 to Parenting Plus! Programs at Bakersfield Elementary School to support a substance abuse prevention program for parents of 7th and 8th graders.
- $500 for the St. Albans Town Educational Center to support a dialogue night for parents, students, teachers and community members.
- $5,000 to the Youth Advisory Council of Caledonia/Southern Essex Counties to support seminars and the High Voltage Tolerance and Prevention Tour to seven schools in the Caledonia and South Essex region. The seminars will include a tour by the High Voltage dance troupe, which incorporates alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention messages in their presentations.
- $4,200 for the Central Vermont Community Partnership to support the coordination of action steps in the regional strategic plan to address substance abuse service delivery.
- $2,900 to the Compass School to support a student led substance abuse prevention and education team and parent education program at the school in Westminster Station.
About DETER
The D.E.T.E.R program is Governor Douglas’ multi-faceted, multi-million dollar program to confront Vermont’s drug epidemic.
Passed in June 2003, D.E.T.E.R set in place a compassionate program of treatment and rehabilitation. Among other things, the program has increased resources to educate children about the dangers of drugs, funded expanded treatment options and recovery centers throughout the state and enhanced penalties for traffickers and dealers who seek to poison Vermonters for profit.
Governor Douglas again proposed an increase in funding for DETER in his fiscal year 2006 budget, including requests for 10 new high school substance abuse prevention counselors and four more recovery centers.
“For too long Vermont chased the problems of substance abuse. The D.E.T.E.R program has helped us make prevention our strategy of choice,” the Governor said.
More information about D.E.T.E.R. and the Health Department’s substance abuse prevention efforts is available at www.HealthyVermonters.info.