Zoe Morrow, director of the Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition, told the Holliston School Committee on May 29 that the coalition’s youth action team has expanded prevention and peer‑leadership activities while the federal grant that supports the work enters its third year.

The Coalition is “in year 3 of 5 right now,” Morrow said, describing school and community programs driven by about 17 students who meet weekly. She said the group’s aim is “to reduce substance use among our youth” by working with 12 sectors of town, including schools, the police department and local government.

Why it matters: The coalition’s work combines direct prevention (classroom and video materials) with community events and state‑level advocacy, creating multiple entry points for students and families to access prevention education and services.

Morrow and the students recounted a range of activities this school year: an Art Saves Lives display of student artwork; a financial‑literacy fair organized by a senior; statehouse advocacy visits in January (six students attended one visit; a smaller group later advocated on synthetic‑nicotine tax loopholes); and conferences organized by the statewide 84 Movement. She said three students spoke at a State House event about closing a tax and regulatory loophole around synthetic nicotine products.

On the prevention and awareness front, the coalition organized two rounds of candy grams and later mental‑health “goodie bags” (about 50 candy grams first round, then nearly 100 goodie bags the second time), a scrapbooking event in partnership with the school’s mental‑health club, and a pair of advocacy trips with the 84 Movement.

Morrow described a school‑hosted drunk‑driving simulator day the coalition coordinated with the National Guard and local first‑responders. “They told me this is the only school they do it with,” she said, and estimated about 200 students took part. Students wore impairment goggles, attempted obstacle‑course tasks and completed short demonstrations including sobriety tests administered by a police officer; Morrow said she reminded students afterward about the timing of prom and graduation.

To reach younger students, the Youth Action Team is producing short, five‑minute video modules for the middle‑school wellness curriculum. Morrow said the videos will cover tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, mental health, risk and protective factors, and refusal‑skills skits. “We filmed some today. We’re hoping to finish at least half of them by the end of the school year and hopefully maybe half of them over the summer,” she said.

Public comment and committee members at the meeting praised the program. Barbara Ryan, a Holliston resident, noted the coalition grew “from 0 to what you saw” in recent months and urged continued student involvement as federal funding decisions are unknown after the grant period.

Morrow said the coalition is house at Youth and Family Services, which she described as a town department that provides free therapy to residents; the coalition’s federal Drug‑Free Communities grant funds core prevention work but can be renewed. She encouraged students to join the Youth Action Team and invited administrators and committee members to contact her by email.

Ending: Committee members thanked Morrow for the presentation and encouraged continued partnership; no committee action or vote was taken on the coalition’s programs during the meeting.