The Drug-Free Youth Coalition of York County: A Community Commitment to Wellness
- Samantha Hammond
- Feb 26
- 7 min read
The Drug-Free Youth Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing youth substance misuse. Through strong community partnerships, the coalition implements evidence-based prevention strategies that strengthen communities, prevent substance abuse, and create a safe environment for young people to thrive. The coalition models its work on the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program—the nation's leading initiative to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
What Is the DFC Support Program?
The DFC Support program provides vital grants to community coalitions, empowering them to reduce youth substance use at the local level. Established in 1997 by the Drug-Free Communities Act, the DFC Support Program is overseen by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in partnership with the CDC (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
A DFC coalition is an array of organizations and sectors that collectively identify, plan, and implement strategies to build safe, healthy, and drug-free environments for youth. In 2023, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) awarded DFC funding to 751 communities across all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, which aim to prevent alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drug use among youth (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
Requirements for Drug-Free Youth Coalitions in the DFC Support Program
Drug-Free Youth Coalitions seeking support from the DFC Program must meet specific eligibility criteria, including but not limited to:
Building Effective Partnerships
Successful drug-free youth coalitions build robust partnerships with schools, families, and local organizations. Each coalition must formally include representatives from 12 required community sectors—such as schools, youth-serving organizations, parents, youth, law enforcement, civic or volunteer groups, and local government (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022). While each group maintains its unique identity, all unite in the shared goal of reducing substance use. These diverse sectors collaborate as a multi-sector coalition to implement evidence-based prevention strategies in their communities.
Provide Core Initiatives and Programs
Seven strategies drive community-level change. These strategies target both individuals and the broader community to maximize impact.
Provide information about youth substance use through educational presentations, workshops, seminars, and informational campaigns such as PSAs, brochures, town halls, forums, web content, or social media. All information must focus on reducing substance use and misuse and comply with relevant laws, regulations, and policies.
Build skills among youth, adults, and community members to foster positive social interactions and sound decision-making. This can be achieved through workshops, seminars, training sessions, parenting classes, planning retreats, and school-based model programs.
Provide support by creating opportunities that reduce risk factors or strengthen protective factors for youth. Activities may include mentoring, service referrals, support groups, and youth clubs.
Increase access, remove barriers, and strengthen connections between systems and services that prevent youth substance use. Improvements may include better access to transportation, housing, education, safety resources, recreational facilities, and culturally responsive prevention programs.
Change consequences to encourage positive behaviors and deter negative ones. For example, recognition programs may reward merchants who comply with substance sale regulations.
Modify the community's physical environment to reduce risks and strengthen protection against youth substance use. Examples include educating stakeholders about rerouting traffic, adjusting park hours, or limiting access to alcohol or tobacco.
Educate stakeholders about policies that limit youth access to substances. This can include creating or updating procedures, bylaws, proclamations, rules, or laws, as well as implementing workplace initiatives, law enforcement practices, and other public policy measures.
Meet DFC Program Goals
To establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments. This collaboration supports community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.
To reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing community factors that increase the risk of substance use while promoting factors that minimize this risk.
Take Action Now. Prevent Substance Use Tomorrow.
Preventing the initiation of and use of substances among youth is critical, as recent data underscore the urgency of this issue. From 2019–2022, overdose deaths doubled among young people aged 15–19 (Tanz et al., 2022). While youth self-reported substance use has declined over time, recent data from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that too many young people continue to use substances (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).
Substance use at a young age is associated with negative health outcomes such as effects on brain development, poor physical and mental health, and the development of a substance use disorder, which can increase the risk of drug overdose.
From 2019–2022, overdose deaths doubled among young people aged 15–19 (Tanz et al., 2022). While youth self-reported substance use has declined over time, recent data from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that too many young people continue to use substances (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).
Empowering Communities To Prevent Youth Substance Use
While community engagement is essential, empowering youth themselves is equally critical to lasting change.
Youth substance use patterns vary among different populations and are impacted by how people live, work, learn, and play. Coalitions address these factors, which can include:
→ Risk factors: adverse childhood experience (ACEs); lack of parental guidance to reject substance use, family rejection of sexual orientation; lack of connectedness to school; and community norms, policies, and practices favorable to substance use.
→ Protective factors: Parent or family support and engagement, school connectedness, and community policies that limit the availability and accessibility of substances.
These risk and protective factors vary in communities across the United States. DFC coalitions are empowered to select prevention strategies that will be most effective in their communities. DFC coalitions also focus on youth most at-risk for substance use and apply their unique knowledge of their community to implement comprehensive strategies and activities using the seven strategies for community-level change. Coalitions plan and develop this comprehensive approach to transform the community environment and influence community institutions, attitudes, and policies that shape individuals' behaviors.
Empowering Young People To Use Their Voices
Meaningful youth engagement is a cornerstone of the DFC Program. Building strong bonds and relationships with adults and friends at school, at home, and in the community provides youth with a sense of connectedness.
This feeling of connectedness can buffer adolescents against experiencing poor mental health and other risk factors like substance use and experiencing violence.
Approximately two-thirds (67%) of DFC coalitions reported hosting a youth coalition – a group of youth working together to plan and implement activities related to the mission of the full coalition. Most coalitions (83%) reported the youth coalition met at least once a month and rated involvement in planning prevention activities as high or very high (72%).
DFC's Impact
Findings from the 2022 DFC Support Program National Cross-Site Evaluation:
→ DFC coalitions significantly decreased the percentage of substance use in the past 30 days among middle school and high school students (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
→ DFC coalitions successfully mobilized approximately 35,000 community members to engage in evidence-based youth substance use prevention/reduction efforts (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
→ More than two-thirds (69%) of DFC coalitions implemented at least five of the seven strategies for community change (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2022).
Want to Get Involved?
Youth Volunteer Opportunities
The Youth Partnership Council empowers high school students to have a positive impact
their communities by addressing the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders. By sharing their perspectives, skills, and enthusiasm, youth play a vital role in shaping a healthier and more supportive community.
Founding Board of the Drug-Free Youth Coalition
Founding Board opportunities available:
· Nonprofit Board Officer: Secretary
· Nonprofit Board Officer: Treasurer
· Nonprofit Board Officer: Board Chair
These roles will significantly influence the coalition's community support and initiatives, thereby improving our community's health and well-being for years to come. These are volunteer roles with a time commitment of 6-7 hours per month.
Join a Coalition Planning Meeting
The coalition holds monthly meetings and encourages community members to contribute to the organizational plan and direction by sharing their input and experience with youth substance misuse.
Volunteering
Volunteer opportunities are open to everyone! Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, your time and effort can make a real impact on our community. Join us in supporting a healthy community where the next generation can grow and thrive!
Support the Drug-Free Youth Coalition in providing health workshops, educational materials, and wellness programs to promote a drug-free community. By purchasing inspirational merchandise for our fundraiser, you will help us create a safer tomorrow for everyone.
Donate: May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Show your support for mental health awareness by picking up awareness favors designed to help break the silence and stop the stigma surrounding mental health challenges.
Visit us at 63 N. Main St, Stewartstown, PA, and donate to support the Drug-Free Youth Coalition's work. In return, you'll receive awareness goodies and access to a wide selection of evidence-based mental health resources to support your own mental health journey, or that of those you care about.
Together, we can create a healthier, drug-free environment for our youth. Let's work hand in hand to empower young people to make healthy choices and thrive.
To Learn More:
or
contact Samantha at 717-683-2942 or contact@drugfreeyouth.net.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. http://www.cdc.gov/yrbs
Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2022). Drug-Free Communities Support Program National Cross-Site Evaluation: End-of-Year 2022 Report. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/drug-free-communities/pdf/DFC-National-Evaluation-EoY-Report.pdf
Tanz, L. J., Dinwiddie, A. T., Mattson, C. L., O'Donnell, J., & Davis, N. L. (2022). Drug overdose deaths among persons aged 10–19 years, United States, July 2019–December 2021. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71(50), 1576–1582. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7150a2
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Facing addiction in America: The Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs, and health. Washington, DC: HHS.