TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Acting Secretary Tim Keck announced Wednesday the award of 17 grants totaling $580,000 for the Kansas Prevention Collaborative – Community Initiative.

Grantee organizations will use these funds to address the problems of underage drinking and/or youth marijuana use and to produce sustainable system changes in their communities to discourage those behaviors.

Awarded funds in our area was the Reno County Communities That Care Coalition and the Coalition for Children and Families in Rice County.

The grant initiative is designed to allow communities to address local alcohol and marijuana concerns but also to explore how behavioral health concerns such as suicide and problem gambling, and depression can impact youth and adult drug use.