•  1990's - Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians, a grassroots coalition of citizens, community and government agencies, seeks local solutions to local health issues.

•  1990's - NC Governor's Task Force on Healthy Carolinians and Healthy People 2010, which sets national objectives topromote health, prevent disease and promote collaboration among diverse groups.

•  2001 - Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians community survey identified local health issues. A focus group of 40 diverse community members prioritized the identified health issues. Substance abuse was identified as a priority issue.

•  2001 - Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians formed task teams to develop realistic community strategies to address the six priorities. The Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians Substance Abuse Task Team developed long range plans in three strategic areas: Prevention, Continuum of Care and Advocacy. The Task Team affirmed that the missing piece in the local continuum has always been advocacy. They committed to focus on establishing an independent, comprehensive substance abuse advocacy presence in Mecklenburg County .

•  2001 - Mecklenburg County Area Mental Health review of substance abuse services and gaps prompted the Mecklenburg Human Services Council to request that the Board of County Commissioners adopt a public policy position that recognized substance abuse as a public health issue. The BOCC agreed to make the reduction of substance abuse a 2015 priority.

•  2001 - District Attorney Peter Gilchrist convened the Substance Abuse Indicators Task Force. They committed to establish an independent, ongoing process to compile local data on the extent and impact of substance abuse in Mecklenburg to serve as a community decision-making tool.

•  2003 - Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians Substance Abuse Task Team invited interested individuals and community groups to establish a Substance Abuse Advocacy Planning Committee to begin strategic planning to establish an advocacy presence in Mecklenburg County .

•  2003 - Substance Abuse Indicators Task Force, Mecklenburg Healthy Carolinians Substance Abuse Task Team and Advocacy Planning Committee and officers of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Vice and Narcotics Division and Chief Darryl Stephens began combined meetings to jointly develop a Community Substance Abuse Plan. Throughout discussions, a recurring theme was the importance of funding – to sustain an indicators report, to implement strategies of the plan, and to hire a coordinator.

•  2004 - The Committee adopted the name, Charlotte Mecklenburg Drug Free Coalition.