A local coalition of groups working to reduce teenage alcohol abuse has been awarded a federal grant to continue its work for another five years.

The coalition 21 Reasons received the $125,000 per year Drug Free Communities grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The five-year grant is the second of its kind. The group used its original grant five years ago, for $100,000 per year, to establish itself as an advocate for parental monitoring and working to limit access to alcohol through stepped-up police enforcement and cracking down on businesses that sell to minors.

“Student survey data shows that while youth substance abuse has gone down, alcohol still remains the most commonly accessed and abused substance by youth,” said Joanna Morrissey, the Drug Free Communities project manager.

The group also received a two-year grant of $75,000 per year to help support a new substance abuse coalition in the Gray-New Gloucester area.

Another advocacy group started two years ago in the northern suburbs, Create Awareness Now to Reduce Youth Substance Abuse, also was awarded $125,000 per year for five years to continue its programming. The group serves Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Pownal and North Yarmouth.

For more information, go to: www.21reasons.org or www.cascobaycan.org