WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $50,000 to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Hudson County to assist the organization in combatting youth substance abuse. The grant was made available through the Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crisis Program.
“The opioid epidemic has been a plague on families and communities throughout our country,” said Rep. Pascrell. “We must do everything we can on the federal level to secure the resources necessary to combat this problem head-on. This grant money will help NCADD bolster its efforts in Hudson County to protect our communities from the harmful impacts of opioid and substance abuse. I am always committed to seeing that Garden State towns and cities receive every penny of federal resources that they need to tackle our most pressing problems. As long as this epidemic persists, I will continue to fight for funding that will directly support local efforts to address opioid abuse and misuse in our communities.”
“The CARA grant broadens our coalition’s efforts to decrease the misuse of prescription medications in Hudson County,” said Yaisa Coronado, Program Director for Hudson County Coalition and Associate Executive Director for Partners in Prevention. “We will utilize this funding to implement environmental strategies that bring awareness and impact change by partnering with health professionals, law enforcement, and other community leaders. We appreciate this opportunity to increase our prevention services and thank the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the award and Congressman Pascrell for his support of this grant.”
“This grant will go a long way in combatting opioid and substance abuse in our community,” said Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli. “I want to thank NCADD of Hudson County for their work on this important issue and Congressman Pascrell for his efforts in making this grant possible.”
“We need to recognize the seriousness of the opioid crisis and that addiction and substance abuse are health issues of great concern in our communities. The drug prevention grants are vital towards combating this epidemic,” said Kearny Mayor Alberto G. Santos.
Background on CARA
The Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crisis Program was created by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016, which was strongly supported by Rep. Pascrell. The goal of this program is to prevent and reduce the abuse of opioids or methamphetamines and the abuse of prescription medications among youth ages 12-to-18 in communities throughout the United States.