FARMINGTON — Healthy Community Coalition has been awarded a $125,000 grant to help prevent substance use among youths.

The funding will be used to help empower youths to advocate against substance abuse and educate families about their role in substance abuse prevention, Lorri Brown, program coordinator for the Drug-Free Communities Grant, said.

“Families are more influential than they think they are,” she said. “This is a good resource for our community.”

The National Drug Control Policy recently announced $85.9 million in grants for 698 Drug-Free Communities Support Programs across the country.

HCC, an affiliate of Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, is in its second year of a grant program, Brown said. It has to apply each year but will receive funding through 2020, she said.

As part of the grant, HCC facilitates the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Greater Franklin County, a multi-sector coalition comprised of law enforcement personnel, educators, health care providers, community leaders and local youths.

“Our goal is to make Greater Franklin County a safe and drug-free place for our youth,” Brown said. “Prevention is a powerful tool to counteract alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug misuse in our community. “

To volunteer for the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and help with prevention efforts, contact Brown at Healthy Community Coalition at 207-779-2409 or [email protected].