Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Jennifer deVallance (202) 395-6618
September 27, 2001

Drug-Free Communities Grants

(Washington, D.C.)—Edward H. Jurith, Acting Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced that the White House agency has awarded $14.6 million in new Drug-Free Communities grants. The federal matching grants are going to 157 community coalitions from 50 states and the District of Columbia to support local anti-drug efforts. An additional $24.1 million will fund continuation of the existing 307 grants. The coalitions, comprised of a diverse cross-section of parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, the media, and community leaders, work to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.

"Community anti-drug coalitions make a valuable contribution toward achieving a goal we all share - preventing youth drug use. The dedicated men and women of these coalitions empower individuals at the local level to join national drug prevention efforts. With the help of community anti-drug coalitions, we are making a difference," Jurith said.

The Drug-Free Communities Program provides grants of up to $100,000 to community organizations that serve as catalysts for citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. A competitive review process selected this year's awardees from 384 applicants. All awardees must have at least a six-month history of working together on substance abuse reduction initiatives, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the Drug-Free Communities Program.

Created under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, the Drug-Free Communities Program has earned strong bipartisan support from Congress and is one of President Bush's top funding priorities. The President's FY '02 budget request would double funding for community anti-drug coalitions to $350 million over five years, including an $11 million increase in FY '02. The President's budget request would fund drug prevention and education activities ranging from parent and youth drug education forums and leadership training, to drug intervention counseling services and tutoring, among other programs.

Since 1997, four competitions have awarded $95.1 million in grants to 464 community anti-drug coalitions. ONDCP administers the community anti-drug program in conjunction with the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention provides technical assistance and resources, helps new grantees implement effective community prevention programs, and facilitates information sharing among the grantees. A new grant application process begins in January, 2002.

More information about the Drug-Free Communities Program is available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp, and prevention.samhsa.gov