$9M GRANT TO AID DRUG ABUSE FIGHT

State To Focus On Prevention Programs In Effort To Save Teens

A new drive to use tested, successful programs to fill the gaps in
Mississippi's fight against teen drug abuse got a $9 million boost Tuesday.

The Mississippi Alliance for Prevention, a coalition of groups ranging from
the National Guard to the Boys and Girls Club, got a three-year grant from
federal health officials to keep children ages 12 to 17 away from drugs and
alcohol.

Organizers hope to get diverse groups to focus on programs with scientific
data showing they reduce drug and alcohol use, said Glenda Crump, project
manager for the alliance.

"There are a lot of people out there doing a lot of things, from bringing
in speakers to walking drug dogs through the schools," Crump said. "We want
to focus on implementing programs that have been proven effective."

Research shows that "one-shot" programs are not as effective as more
comprehensive efforts over longer periods, she said.

Course materials for such programs are out there for anyone to use, Crump said.

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove unveiled the initiative in a news conference at
Madison Central High School.

"We're going to take our efforts to protect our children from the scourge
of alcohol and drug abuse to the next level," Musgrove said. "We worked
hard to secure this funding, and now we're going to work hard to secure
results."

Grants went to about a third of the 30 states that applied for them, said
Thomas Deloe, a project officer with the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention.

"We're pleased with what Mississippi is going to do with the money, which
is fund many drug and alcohol prevention programs around the state," Deloe
said.

The program will be run by Crump's nonprofit DREAM Inc. and the Mississippi
Department of Mental Health.

Valesha Williams, director of the Metro Jackson Community Prevention
Coalition, said the grant will go a long way toward focusing and
strengthening the state's efforts to keep kids away from drugs and alcohol.

"Prevention is important, rather than on the back end trying to save folks,
which has a lesser rate of success," Williams said.

And the requirement for science-based methods will help communities benefit
from the experiences of others, she said.

"We don't want to start at ground zero in developing strategies," Williams
said. "The idea is to not recreate the wheel, but just go with the one
that's already created."