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Community-based coalitions to prevent substance abuse are now in most communities throughout the United States. For nearly 15 years, coalitions, defined as two or more sectors of a community collaborating to address a substance abuse issue, have emerged as an important and tested strategy. Coalitions are better able to identify problems, target resources to respond to a particular drug problem and build comprehensive and inclusive strategies for a community.

Coalitions are about facilitating, mediating and brokering relationships between organizations and citizens. This is about citizen engagement. As one wag put it, most communities are like a football game, you have 22 people on the field that need rest being watched by 22,000 people who need exercise. Coalitions are about getting those people into the game helping to achieve the collective's goal.

To combat methamphetamine in your community — a coalition should include the following representatives:

• 1. Local Law Enforcement
• 2. Drug Enforcement Administration
• 3. Fire and Emergency Medical
• 4. Schools
• 5. Community-based Prevention Organizations
• 6. Treatment Providers
• 7. Hospitals
• 8. Business Representation - Particularly from Chain Drug Stores
• 9. Representatives from the Faith-Based Community
• 10. Child Protective Services

There are fundamentally two types of coalitions. The first type is a temporary collaboration meeting to organize around a specific challenge and the coalition disappears when they have addressed the challenge. The second type is a more permanent configuration of organizations that have a board, they are probably a 501 ( c ) (3), and they direct resources to various organizations in the community to respond to specific goals and objectives. This second type requires significant community support but has the greater capacity to effect change in your community.