Montgomery County Community College has received a $46,090 grant from the Pennsylvania State Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to help fight the opioid crisis, according to a staff report from The Philadelphia Tribune.

The grant will be used to start a new, innovative initiative called MCCC S.T.O.P., or Montgomery County Community College Students Tackling Opioid Prevention.

Through its associate degree Public Health Program, MCCC will serve as a community hub for the prevention of opioid activities in adolescents.

“Three communities in Montgomery County that are most significantly impacted by opioid use are Pottstown, Norristown, and Lansdale, which are areas near our campuses,” said Dr. Gifty Akomea Key, MCCC’s Program Coordinator and Instructor for the Public Health Program. “MCCC S.T.O.P. will bring awareness to the crisis and help educate residents in this catchment area.”

Among other steps, the initiative will create a survey tool to conduct a community readiness assessment and from this, provide messaging to both parents of prospective students and current students about opioids.

Additionally, MCCC students in the Public Health Program will receive training to act as a resource for their colleagues.

Read more about the grant at The Philadelphia Tribune by clicking here.

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Top photo credit: verchmarco Stack of pills and medicine via photopin (license)