A local coalition in rural Minnesota addressing drug prevention by holding community forums and education sessions and collaborating with schools
The Carlton County Drug Prevention Coalition was established to combat the growing epidemic of substance misuse in Carlton County, in a part of rural Minnesota. The mission of the Coalition is to engage, advocate, inform, and bring awareness of substance use issues through education, prevention, enforcement, intervention, treatment, and recovery to build a healthy and safe community.
The Coalition meets on a regular basis and consists of members from many organizations and businesses throughout the county, including health care professionals, education, law enforcement, public health, and treatment/recovery, as well as community members who have an interest in working to overcome the issue of substance misuse in their community.
The efforts of the Coalition are varied, including organizing and holding community forums and education sessions, working to improve system processes that touch substance misuse, collaborating with schools to focus on prevention among youth, and addressing the impact of stigma.