Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and its National Coalition Institute have named California's North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC) of San Diego the Coalition of the Year.
 
 Also honored with CADCA's Got Outcomes! Coalition of Excellence awards were the Substance Abuse Free Environment Inc. Coalition (Virginia), the Ray County Coalition (Missouri), and the Gage County MAPS Coalition (Nebraska).
 
A panel of coalition leaders judged the organizations based on their contributions in reducing substance abuse through evidence-based programs. The winners effectively used community-based strategies to decrease underage use of alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants, CADCA said.
 
The NCPC worked to change public perceptions of consequences associated with underage drinking and marijuana use; and helped alter local ordinances relating to these drugs. The group's efforts were credited with contributing to a 50-percent decrease in alcohol-sale violations, an 8-percent drop in alcohol use among 11th-graders, and marijuana use declining 14 percent over 8 years.
 
"These organizations have shown that they are true leaders in the field of substance abuse prevention and effective change agents in their community," said Gen. Arthur Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO. "They exemplify the excellent work that coalitions are doing around the country to prevent and reduce drug use in their communities."
 
CADCA will honor the coalitions at its National Leadership Forum XIX in February 2009.