The Partnership @drugfreeNH

The Partnership @drugfreeNH (The Partnership) was organized in 1994 under the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services (NH DHHS). (BDAS) JSI took stewardship of the program in 2017; the Partnership is now a public-private collaboration between NH DHHS, the NH Governor’s Commission on Alcohol & Other Drugs, the NH Charitable Foundation, and The Center for Excellence on Addiction @ JSI.

The Partnership engages substance use prevention partners around the state and shares the most recent prevention resources, informs and strengthens media relations to promote public conversation about substance misuse, and develops new initiatives to promote protective factors and actionable items for adults who care for youth, and our partners’ work in prevention. The Partnership houses multiple youth and young adult alcohol and substance use prevention campaigns and recently added The Power of Prevention Podcast in 2021, and The Partnership Prevention Blog in 2022. Through the grant with UNH Extension, The Partnership produced multiple videos to explain the concept of prevention and to focus on opioid use prevention, including chronic pain management and safe storage and disposal.

The Partnership envisions a New Hampshire where individuals have the information and skills they need to make and support positive, healthy decisions around the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Together we help individuals, families, and communities get informed about preventing substance use and misuse in youth, young adults and all populations. Our work is informed by the core value that well-crafted prevention messaging has an evidence-based, positive impact. We believe that if we engage every sector of our state and community, we are more effective and efficient.

The Partnership is currently funded by the NH Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, donations from the public, and a SAMHSA Land Grant with the University of New Hampshire Extension.