Fatal drug overdoses are on the decline in Kentucky.

State officials say one way to keep that momentum going is through efforts to prevent or delay substance use in the first place.

As our June Lefler reports, these prevention efforts can take many shapes.

Harm reduction and drug treatment can combat the worst health impacts of addiction.

Drug prevention is an upstream solution.

At the end of the day, you have to remember more than 1900 Kentuckians lost their life to overdose last year.

That's a lot of seats at the dinner table, which are empty.

And we want to try to break the cycle where we can and try to interrupt it and be as effective as possible.

In the past two years, Kentucky's Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission has awarded more than $10 million to grassroots prevention efforts in Kentucky.

The commission is responsible for handling the state's opioid settlement money.

Public health experts say prevention works with the right strategy.

You know, what I always say to people is if you have resources to allocate towards prevention, you really want to be allocating those resources to the programs that we know to be effective.

The state is focusing on youth prevention.

That's a great group to target, but they need more than a lecture.

Well, I think there's this difference between just like educating, you know, about this idea of why not to use substances versus addressing what might lead somebody to be at risk for using substances.

And I think the more effective programs are the ones that address underlying risk.

A prevention program coordinator in Kentucky explains the circumstances in a kid's life that may make them more likely to use substances.

It can think about risk and protective factors like a game board of Chutes and Ladders.

So your shoots are the risk factors, things that make it more likely that kids will use substances.

But also it's the same thing that oftentimes those are the same factors, risk factors for other types of problems like violence or delinquency or school dropout.

Those are things like not feeling connected at school, not having an adult who's keeping tabs on you, not having an adult at home.

And then the flip side of those things are the protective factors.

And those are like the ladders on our game board, supportive relationships at school, positive peer relationships.

Changing all of that might seem daunting, but quality programs can often take small, intentional steps.

Trying to build up not just for everybody, but especially youth.

That ability to be able to adapt to life circumstances and the adverse experiences that they might encounter and build up their resilience in a way that they can continue to grow and become the individual that they can be and be the best of themselves.

That's really what we're looking at doing, is trying to make sure that we support children and families and their efforts to grow their family, their comfort, and to be strong members of the community.

The attorney general's office is launching a statewide prevention program based off the Better Without It campaign.

That effort will come to life in schools and on social media.

It rolls out next year.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you, June.

Kentucky continues to award funds for treatment, recovery and prevention programs.

The commission is accepting grant applications until January 17th, and more information about that is online at AIG, dot K-Y, dot gov.