BISMARCK — First District Health Unit is among health agencies in the state that will benefit from new grant funds to expand underage drinking prevention efforts.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it has been awarded the Partnership for Success grant, providing $1.25 million annually for up to five years from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant aims to strengthen the capacity of local substance use prevention providers to implement underage drinking prevention efforts targeting underserved populations reported.

“Prevention is a vital part of the behavioral health continuum of care,” said Laura Anderson, policy director of the HHS Behavioral Health Division. “We are excited for the new opportunities this grant will bring to support substance use prevention in collaboration with local communities.”

The Behavioral Health Division has awarded funds to five local public health units to focus on underage drinking prevention for at-risk populations, including college students, active-duty military members and their families, and children of parents with substance use or mental health challenges.

The awards, ranging from $650,000 to $1.15 million per unit, will be distributed over the duration of the project, which runs through Sept. 30, 2028. In addition to First District, awards will go to Grand Forks Public Health Unit, Lake Region District Health Unit in Devils Lake, Richland County Health Department in Wahpeton and Upper Missouri District Health Unit in Williston.

“The Upper Missouri District Health Unit, in partnership with the McKenzie County Community Coalition, is ecstatic to receive our second round of Partnership for Success funding,” said Miranda Samuelson, prevention specialist and mental health coordinator for the unit. “This grant allows us to address underage drinking prevention gaps and makes us more competitive for future funding opportunities.”

While underage drinking rates have decreased in recent years, nearly 20% of North Dakota high school students report consuming alcohol in the past 30 days, according to the North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023, cited by HHS in its news release. Furthermore, 93% of North Dakotans believe youth alcohol use is a problem in their communities, based on data from the North Dakota Community Readiness Survey, 2022. Alcohol consumption during adolescence can have lasting effects on brain development, impacting problem-solving skills, academic performance, and mental health. Early alcohol use increases the risk of long-term developmental issues, HHS reported.