The East Providence Prevention Coalition received a Blue Ribbon Award from the White House at the National Youth Substance Use Prevention Summit held Monday, Oct. 30, in Washington, DC.

EPPC was invited to the nation's capital and recognized for its outstanding work to prevent youth substance use and ensure young people can lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

In recognition of National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, the White House hosted the bipartisan summit to bring together youth leaders, community-based coalitions, and federal partners to discuss efforts to expand evidence-based prevention and ensure local communities have the tools and resources they need to prevent youth substance use and save lives.

The EPPC was one of 15 Drug-Free Community Coalitions from across the country to receive a Blue Ribbon Award, which recognizes high performing coalitions that do an exceptional job creating a foundation for their work by updating and utilizing their coalition products.

It is a two-year recognition that opens new doors for coalitions to share their work and become a role model in the prevention field. Director Madeline Marlow, Youth Coordinator Bethanie Rado and EP Youth Council Representative Tristen Nunes were in Washington, DC to accept the accolade.

The DFC Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by ONDCP in partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the DFC Program provides grants to community-based coalitions to address youth substance use and support President Joseph Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy by implementing evidence-based prevention locally, and ultimately, save lives.

“Drug-Free Community Coalitions are an essential part of our whole-of-society efforts to address the overdose epidemic and save lives,” said White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Rahul Gupta. “The Biden-Harris Administration has made supporting the nation’s youth and their well-being a top priority, and made historic investments to strengthen substance use prevention.

"I am grateful to the Blue Ribbon Coalitions awardees, like East Providence Prevention Coalition, who are leading the way in expanding critical evidence-based prevention efforts and addressing youth substance use so that all young Americans can live healthy and fulfilling lives.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has made supporting the nation’s young people a top priority, and has made historic investments over the past two years to strengthen local youth prevention and awareness campaigns across the country.

President Biden declared October as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month to recommit to providing families, educators, and communities with access to lifesaving resources so that we can ensure that young people have the tools they need to thrive.