Mahwah Alliance Receives $625,000 Grant To Combat Teen Substance Abuse

The Mahwah Municipal Alliance will receive a $625,000 federal grant to help prevent youth substance abuse.

The MMA is one of the nearly 700 nationwide organizations to receive part of the $86 million in grants, Michael Botticelli, director of the National Drug Control Policy, announced this week.

The MMA will use the grant to help prevent young residents from abusing alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, prescription drugs, and other substances.

“Our goal is to make the township a safe and healthy environment for our youth,” said Caarolyn Blake, MMA president. ”Prevention is a powerful tool to counteract drug use in our community and we will use this funding to help our kids make healthy choices about substance use.”

Blake said the alliance is working with schools Superintendent C. Lauren Schoen, Ramapo College President Peter Mercer, police Chief James Batelli and elected officials to address substance abuse problems in the community. She said the Township Council is supporting programs that are bringing residents together to create ”healthy and drug-free environments for our youth.”

The grants are administered by the federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program. The grant will be given to the MMA throughout the next five years.