Higgins, Kulpa: $100,000-plus to help youth substance abuse prevention efforts in Town of Amherst

Federal grant to support work of Amherst Task Force For Healthy Communities & Healthy Youth

Congressman Brian Higgins and Town of Amherst Supervisor Brian J. Kulpa announced a federal grant totaling $103,864 to help support the work of the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Communities & Healthy Youth in the prevention of substance abuse among youth in the Town of Amherst.

“Peer pressure and an undeveloped understanding of the real consequences of substance abuse make young people especially vulnerable,” Higgins said. “Education and outreach are key to prevention. We commend the coalition of government, school, faith and youth partners working together in Amherst to support teens and families. This federal funding will expand that important work.”

The federal grant provided through the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program will be utilized by the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Communities and Healthy Youth to grow its work and reach, to educate youth about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and to provide parents with tools and strategies to address substance abuse with their children.

Kulpa said, “I’d like to thank Congressman Higgins for his advocacy for drug-free communities and for the Town of Amherst. This grant enables us to provide meaningful help for young people in the town who would otherwise fall prey to substance abuse issues.”

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program was created in 1997 by the Drug-Free Communities Act to help communities combat local youth substance abuse by providing them with federal grants. The program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Higgins, a member of the Congressional Bipartisan Opioid Task Force, recently announced approval of legislation in the House of Representatives providing $5 billion in federal funding to further help communities address the opioid epidemic.