BY MATTHEW STONE

Staff Writer

A group working to prevent substance abuse among southern Kennebec County children and young adults has landed a $125,000 federal grant.

The Southern Kennebec Substance Abuse Work Group received the grant award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Neill Miner, the work group's project director.

"Right now, the grant is an opportunity for us to focus not just on alcohol and tobacco, but marijuana and prescription drugs," Miner said. "It's an opportunity for us to broaden our focus to engage the community in a different way than we did before, and to sustain our efforts over five years, and hopefully over a full decade."

The group hosted a meeting Tuesday focused specifically on preventing prescription drug abuse and making it easier to dispose of unwanted and expired medications.

The group involves more than 20 community members from 15 Kennebec County towns. It collaborates with locally formed groups that often involve children and young adults in reducing substance abuse among fellow students.

Pieces of the $125,000 grant will filter through the group to communities with plans for fighting drug abuse among young adults. For example, a recently formed substance-abuse prevention group focused on Maranacook Community middle and high schools in Readfield will receive some of the federal money, Miner said.

That group is seeking more frequent visits from drug-sniffing dogs and is deploying a dedicated phone line students can call to anonymously report drug and alcohol use.

"Our intent really is to support local community efforts, but also to link local community efforts across the county," he said. "We don't want to do any of this stuff in isolation."

The grant also offers Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, the nonprofit organization coordinating the work group, a funding source as much of the group's other federal money is at risk, Miner said.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com