Since 1997, Texans Standing Tall has addressed youth substance abuse prevention by organizing adults, youth, coalitions, agencies and others, to move statewide and local efforts towards systems change and improvement. Originally funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJ) and administered by the American Medical Association (AMA), as one of 12 statewide coalitions nationally, with the sole purpose of preventing and reducing underage alcohol use. Texans Standing Tall remains as one of only six of the original RWJ statewide coalitions still active today, and the only one functioning as a stand alone statewide organization.

Assessment of youth prevalence data indicated a need to widen our scope to address youth tobacco and other drug use in addition to underage drinking. So, when RWJ funding ended in 2004, we expanded our focus to include alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. In 2005, on the verge of losing all funding, we received the Drug Free Communities Support Grant and began working to implement state-level environmental change and support communities who are working to prevent youth alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

Texans Standing Tall has and continues to receive financial support from a variety of sources, including: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Servcies Administration (SAMHSA); U.S. Department of Education, office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY); Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS); Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT); the Office of the Governor; Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC); and, countless individuals and other organizations.

Texans Standing Tall continues to educate local communities about the need to implement prevention strategies at the state level such as keg registration, raising alcohol and tobacco excise taxes, a statewide smoke-free law, as well as emerging issues that impact youth substance abuse such as alcoholic energy drinks and smokeless tobacco products.