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The Syracuse Onondaga Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission was first
established in 1972 by the city/county governments, with the mission of promoting and maintaining a community partnersip to
decrease adult and youth substance abuse with multi-strategies and initiatives.
The local U.S. Attorney's Office (New York Northern District) assumed
the leadership of this Onondaga County/City of Syracuse, NY anti-drug coalition in 1988, at which time the coalition was restructured.
The Bylaws were updated and county legislature was adopted regulating the official appointments of Commission members. The
appointing of coalition members by the Onondaga County Executive, the City of Syracuse Mayor, the Common Council, and the
County Legislature proved a strategic measure to strengthen the coalition's organizational framework and its sustainability
capacity. This enhanced its ability to increase awareness of the dangers of substance abuse and act as a catalyst for implementing
innovative prevention initiatives throughout Onondaga County.
The fifty (50) appointed members of the Commission form the main core of this coalition. The Executive Committee, comprised
of appointed Commission members, serve as the main governing body making recommendations regarding policies, goals and objectives,
and activities to the appointed Commission members and working committees. The working committees are comprised of appointed
Commission members, as well as key staff and representatives of county/city initiatives, programs, and coalitions. The identity
of this coalition is not only defined by its appointed Commission members, but also by the many collaborating programs, agencies,
churches and coalitions involved in the Commission's working committees. During the past twenty years, the working committees
have included the Media, Schools, Youth, Business, Community Education, Sustainment and Evaluation Committees. The Executive
Committee and Commission staff have been successful with maintaining the infrastructure of this coalition, continuously striving
to insure that the appointed Commission members represent all community sectors and encouraging all community initiatives,
programs, agencies and media to be involved in its activities. The Commission collaborates, supports and is a member organization
of many of the county coalitions involved with addressing local youth risk and protective factors. Through supporting and
assisting the other community coalitions, as well as many of the county's youth programs and services, the resulting collaborations
strengthen the Onondaga County prevention and service providers'ability to positively affect the development of its youth.
A finalist of the 2004 "Clear Minds Clear Messages", his parents and classmates attend the formal billboard unveiling
of his posted winning media message. The Syracuse/Onondaga Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission developed this media project
more than ten years ago. This annual project provides a vehicle for local educators and youth program providers to educate
local students about the dangers of substance use and violent behavior, and also offers the opportunity for local student
to create their own media messages.
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