A new five-year grant was recently awarded to the East Bay Regional Coalition, through the BAY Team, the organization in Barrington that manages the East Bay regional prevention services. 

The Partnerships for Success grant will provide the region with $159,000 per year for an anticipated five-year-term to expand the age range and evidence-based prevention programming for alcohol and cannabis use amongst 18- to 25-year-olds. 

“The funds are particularly timely, now that cannabis use for adults has been legalized in the state,” stated a press release from East Bay Regional Coalition.  

The East Bay was chosen as one of the four regions in the state with the highest proportion of young adults with hazardous use of alcohol and cannabis, according to the RI Young Adult Survey. Evidence-based programming will be implemented in East Providence, Barrington, Warren, and Bristol. Additionally, this grant will provide the opportunity to build capacity to develop and pilot at least one intervention designed to reduce the disparate prevalence of problem alcohol and marijuana use experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young adults. 

The East Bay Regional Coalition is strengthening its partnership with Roger Williams University to focus on young adults in the college setting, where there is already strong institutional policy in place. 

In addition to alternative and educational strategies, enforcement-based strategies will ensure that policies related to cannabis sales in the four communities parallel those of alcohol and tobacco. 

New Project Coordinator

Hannah Oliver is the new East Bay PFS Project Coordinator as of May 2024. Originally from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Hannah recently graduated from Roger Williams University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Health. She is excited to collaborate with Roger Williams University to implement new programs addressing problematic alcohol and cannabis use, especially as a recent graduate.