The purpose of this grant program is to address two of the nation’s top substance abuse prevention priorities:
- underage drinking among persons aged 12 to 20; and
- prescription drug misuse among persons aged 12 to 25.
The SPF-PFS grant program is intended to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance misuse and its related problems while strengthening prevention capacity and infrastructure at the state, tribal, and community levels. NM is working with prevention providers in five counties across the state and five higher education entities to target preventions efforts toward 12 to 25 year olds in and out of school.
Communities address underage alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and opioid use using evidence-based prevention strategies targeting retail and social access, law enforcement efforts to deter use and enforce existing laws, perception of risk of getting caught, perceived risk of use, and social norms and attitudes. As a co-Investigator, Dr. Waller assists with the planning and creation of data collection tools and protocols for both youth and young adults, training staff, and monitoring progress in addition to analyzing and reporting out on findings in a yearly basis.