National / International / Local Projects

BOLD – Building Our Lives Drug-Free

The BOLD Coalition’s mission is to prevent youth substance use and change societal norms regarding substance use by reducing access, increasing perceptions of risk and harm of substance use, and increasing parental disapproval of youth use. BOLD’s vision is to create a healthy community for the youth of Greater Fall River. Governed by an Advisory Board of 15 members, the BOLD Coalition has representatives from 12 different sectors of the community: youth, parents, business, media, schools, law enforcement, faith and youth serving organizations, civic groups, healthcare professionals and governmental agencies.

Nearly 1,000 grassroots people have joined together to promote BOLD’s mission and all who live or work in Fall River, Somerset, Swansea and Westport are welcome to participate in any of BOLD’s projects. BOLD is a member of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the national organization of drug abuse prevention coalitions.

For 2009-10, our projects are:

  • Increase availability of prevention materials through pediatricians and health care clinics.
  • Co-lead creation of a youth arts program in the community called YEAH! (Youth Experiencing Art and Hope).
  • Advocate for increased access by youth to public transportation.
  • Advocate for and support a diversion to treatment program, “Reclaiming Futures,” with the Fall River Juvenile Court.
  • Support compliance checks for underage sales of alcohol and tobacco in all our communities.
  • Create media campaigns and programs presented to parents and grandparents to reduce youth access to alcohol and prescription drugs.
  • Launch media campaigns on the risk and harm of marijuana and alcohol.
  • Create a Parent Academy for parents to have more opportunities to improve parenting skills, to increase parental disapproval of youth use of substances, and to reduce access by youth to all substances in homes, including prescription medications.
  • Advocate for and provide training for staff so that Project Alert is part of every middle school’s curriculum.
  • Establish SADD chapters in middle schools.

Please join us. Call 508- 324-7775 or email kfischer@sstar.org