An Introduction

WHO WE ARE:
Portland Now Prevention Partnership (PNPP) is a coalition of Portland residents and service providers who are working to reduce substance abuse among youth and adults in Portland.

HOW WE WERE FORMED:
In 2003, Portland Now, Inc. (PNI) the Portland neighborhood association, applied for and received a federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant for $100,000 to work on substance abuse prevention in Portland.  As a result, the Portland Now Prevention Partnership was formed as a subgroup of Portland Now Inc., to work on preventing substance abuse. 

WHAT DOES PNPP DO TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE?
Research shows that when a community joins together to work together on the problem of substance abuse, substance abuse rates decline. The working model for this type of action is a community coalition of residents, businesses, schools, law enforcement, youth organizations, and others.  The PNPP coalition also works to increase prevention efforts in the neighborhood, and promotes the use of effective, proven substance abuse prevention programs.

OUR MAIN PROJECTS

Coalition development:
Continued growth of the PNPP coalition will increase our ability to lower substance abuse rates in Portland and will help us bring together the resources we need for effective programs.  The coalition gives us a forum for concentrating on substance abuse issues in Portland.

Youth Development:
Providing youth leadership development programs will help create an environment in Portland that supports youth abstinence from substance use.

Social Norms Campaign:
Social Norms is a fancy way of saying we’re working to counter the idea that “everyone is using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs”.  Since we know that young people are influenced by what they THINK their peers are doing- we want to be sure to get the good news in front of them…. most Portland youth DON’T use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, according to surveys.  Our campaign to get the good news out there includes billboards, bookmarks, t-shirts, stickers, yard signs and other ways of promoting the truth about youth substance use in Portland.

Effective substance abuse prevention programs:
We’re putting an emphasis on providing effective programs to youth and families, from workshops on communicating with your teens to school programs to increase youth attachment to the neighborhood to programs to help parents refuse to host teen drinking parties.  

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE OR GET INVOLVED?
PNPP meets every third Thursday of the month at Neighborhood House.  The meeting is at 12 noon, and lunch is served, no charge.  Membership in PNPP is free. No special knowledge is needed to be a part of the group.  Anyone interested in substance abuse issues is encouraged to attend a meeting.

The project Director is Jackie McComb.  Jackie can be reached at pnpp@insightbb.com or 774-2322.  Neighborhood House serves as the “host” agency for the project, and the PNPP office is located at Neighborhood House, 201 N. 25th St., Louisville, KY 40212.