“

We know from evaluations that we've done, because there's a strong evaluation component, that when this work is happening in those 700 communities across the country, the rates of substance use in youth like tobacco, drugs, marijuana and others goes down as compared to those that don't have these programs in their communities, this is a top priority, with a sense of urgency to address the abuse crisis, but it starts with prevention and prevention is the best return on investment when you look at it. And getting money directly to communities is so vital to make sure that [prevention programs] are working and they're working effectively.