Gov. Bob Riley recently announced a comprehensive statewide drug prevention program aimed at steering Alabama's youth away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Funded by a $9 million grant to the governor's office from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the approach of the new program will be to combine existing resources of state, regional and local agencies in developing an overall plan.

Riley has appointed a 23-member committee, chaired by Maury Mitchell of the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, to coordinate the project.

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