The federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program has awarded nearly $1.25 million in grants to programs in eastern Connecticut that work to reduce youth substance abuse, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Friday.

The programs receiving grants are Ledge Light Health District, New London Community & Campus Coalition, Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Tri-Town Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, Enfield Together Coalition, East Haddam Local Prevention Council, Windham Substance Abuse Task Force, Coalition for a Healthy Empowered Community and Putnam Reduction in Drugs for Everyone.

Each program received a $125,000 grant except Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, which received $119,340.

The Drug-Free Communities Support program, which is directed by the White House Office of National Drug Policy in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, requires at least a one-to-one match in local funding for each dollar it gives.

"The rising tide of prescription opioid and heroin addiction continues to harm our communities," Courtney said in a news release. "We need all hands on deck response to deal with this epidemic, and this federal funding will go a long way in helping these local treatment programs to fight back against this vexing epidemic of drug addiction."