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Drug Free Community Grant Award Announced

A message from Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education (BLADE):

I am excited to announce that our coalition was one of only two selected in Minnesota to receive the DFC grant, it is such an honor! BLADE will now have the resources to address youth access to substances, youth beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of substance use, and will support healthy behaviors while promoting protective factors in the community through primary prevention strategies that impact the Policy, System, and Environmental (PSE) change to reduce youth substance use. In partnership with coalition members and local organizations, BLADE will work with Crow Wing County youth, 6 th-12th grade, from the Brainerd School District in year one, and from Pequot Lakes and Crosby-Ironton in subsequent years, to reduce youth substance use in the three focus areas of alcohol, tobacco (emphasis on vaping), and marijuana. Here is a link to the recent story in the media: https://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/local/crow-wing-county-blade-coalition-brings-know-the-truth-program-to-brainerd-lakes-area-schools 

BLADE strategies will limit youth access to substances, change culture and context to how decisions are made, shift consequences on youth substance use, and address health disparities while promoting health equity. Grant Funding Period: September 2023 – September 2028

 Our efforts will include;

• Provide information to the public and key stakeholders about youth substance use.
• Enhance skills among relevant stakeholders so youth/adults can engage in positive social and decision-making capabilities.
• Provide support to increase opportunities that increase involvement in drug-free/healthy alternative activities.
• Enhance access, reduce barriers, and improve connections between systems and services that help prevent youth substance use.
• Change consequences to incentivize positive practices and disincentivize negative practices.
• Change physical design of the community to enhance protection against or to reduce the risk for youth substance use.
• Educate and inform about modifying/changing policies that reduce access and availability to substances among youth.

BLADE hopes to be a catalyst that helps to create comprehensive systemic change in schools, businesses, law enforcement, and government, influencing legislation, policy, and practice with decision-makers in Crow Wing County. Addressing youth substance use requires a collaborative and grassroots approach to changing behaviors and promoting healthy lifestyles. As a leader in Substance Use Prevention Education, KTT™ had been working alongside coalitions throughout the state through the Minnesota Prevention Alliance, a statewide coalition of professionals and volunteers from around the state who promote and enhance substance abuse prevention efforts.

Know the Truth Prevention Program held presentations at Brainerd Learning Center and Lincoln Education Center classrooms in the 2022-2023 school year. Student survey results reflect that 100% of students reported being very unlikely to try prescription pills after hearing our presentation. Amy Jordan and Jessica Haapajoki have been instrumental in inviting us to their classrooms to enhance their substance use curriculum.

Below is our current schedule for 2023 – 2024 school year, that you always welcome to attend: