Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
Federal and state grants fund substance abuse prevention programs, evidence-based prevention services, youth drug prevention initiatives, opioid prevention, and community harm reduction efforts. Find funding for prevention nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and public health agencies.
Types of Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
Evidence-Based Prevention Programs
Grants supporting implementation of proven prevention curricula and evidence-based interventions with demonstrated effectiveness in reducing substance abuse.
- • Evidence-based prevention curriculum implementation
- • Empirically-supported prevention models
- • School-based prevention programs
- • Universal, selective, and indicated prevention
Youth Substance Abuse Prevention
Funding for youth-focused prevention programs addressing drug and alcohol abuse among children, adolescents, and young adults.
- • School drug prevention programs
- • Youth mentoring and skill-building
- • Peer leadership prevention programs
- • Family-based prevention services
Opioid & Fentanyl Prevention
Grants addressing the opioid crisis through prevention, overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and community opioid response programs.
- • Naloxone/Narcan distribution programs
- • Overdose prevention initiatives
- • Community opioid response programs
- • Prescription opioid stewardship
Community & Public Health Prevention
Community-level prevention initiatives addressing substance abuse through public education, risk reduction, harm reduction, and environmental prevention strategies.
- • Community prevention coalitions
- • Public education campaigns
- • Harm reduction programs
- • Community risk factor reduction
Eligibility for Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
Schools & Educational Organizations
Schools, school districts, and educational nonprofits can apply for grants to implement school-based substance abuse prevention programs and drug prevention curricula.
Prevention Nonprofits & Community Organizations
Nonprofits focused on substance abuse prevention, community health organizations, and grassroots organizations can access federal and state prevention grants.
Public Health Agencies
Public health departments, health agencies, and government entities can receive funding for community-level substance abuse prevention and opioid response programs.
Healthcare Systems & Providers
Healthcare organizations and providers can apply for prevention grants focusing on prescription opioid stewardship, patient education, and prevention screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs?
Evidence-based prevention programs have been scientifically tested and proven to reduce substance abuse risk. These include school curricula, family programs, youth mentoring, and community interventions with documented effectiveness in preventing drug and alcohol use.
How does substance abuse prevention differ from treatment?
Prevention stops substance abuse before it starts through education, skill-building, and risk reduction. Treatment helps people already struggling with substance abuse. Federal grants fund both—prevention stops addiction before it happens, treatment helps people recover.
What is naloxone (Narcan) and why does it matter for prevention?
Naloxone (Narcan) is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Federal grants support naloxone distribution programs in communities, making the medication widely available to prevent overdose deaths. Good Samaritan laws protect people who use naloxone to help others.
Who funds substance abuse prevention?
Federal funders include SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration), CDC, NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), and NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism). State health departments and some private foundations also fund prevention.
How effective are substance abuse prevention programs?
Research shows evidence-based prevention programs reduce substance abuse by 20-80% depending on the program and population. School-based programs, family interventions, and community prevention are all effective, especially when they reach people before substance abuse begins.
What is harm reduction and is it funded?
Harm reduction includes strategies to reduce the negative effects of substance abuse (like naloxone distribution, syringe services, safe consumption spaces). Federal grants increasingly fund harm reduction as a public health approach to reduce overdose deaths and disease transmission.
Substance Abuse Prevention Resources
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential, 24/7 helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Provides treatment referrals, prevention information, and support for substance abuse issues.
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
NIDA.nih.gov provides research-based information on substance abuse prevention, evidence-based programs, and prevention science.
Prevention Online (PREVLINE)
SAMHSA's prevention resource center providing information on prevention science, evidence-based programs, and prevention best practices.
National Prevention Network
Resource for prevention professionals, programs, and information on substance abuse prevention initiatives and funding opportunities.
CCPN (Community Coalition Partnership Network)
Network of prevention coalitions working to reduce substance abuse through evidence-based community prevention strategies.
Available Substance Abuse Prevention Grants (4 grants)
Strategy to Deliver Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs to Older Adults with Behavioral Health and/or Chronic Conditions
Agency: Administration for Community Living | Level: federal
Last verified: 2/11/2026
Providing targeted technical assistance (TA) to strengthen Botswana's implementation of sustainable and comprehensive HIV clinical and prevention services for adults and children under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
Agency: Centers for Disease Control-GHC | Level: federal
Last verified: 2/11/2026
Reducing the burden of parasitic infections in the United States through evidence-based prevention and control activities.
Agency: Centers for Disease Control - NCEZID | Level: federal
Last verified: 2/11/2026
Pilot and Feasibility Studies in Preparation for Substance Use and HIV Prevention Intervention and Services Research Trials
Agency: National Institutes of Health | Level: federal
Last verified: 2/11/2026