Press Release

(Washington, D.C.)—John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today awarded $21.9 million in new Drug-Free Communities matching grants to 227 communities in 46 states. An additional $41 million will support the continuation of grant awards to 487 existing community coalition projects operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All 714 local 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 drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among youth.

Noting the importance Drug-Free Communities grants make to rural communities and urban communities Director Walters stated, "The Drug-Free Communities Program will provide critical resources to expand community prevention programs across America where it is needed most. From small towns and rural areas to inner cities and suburbia, illegal drug use and abuse affect us all. Preventing drug use before it starts spares families and communities across America the anguish of watching their children slip into the grasp of addiction. If we can prevent young people from using drugs through the age of 18, the chance of their using drugs as adults is very small. The Drug-Free Communities Program, and other drug prevention efforts, are the most cost-effective approach to the drug problem, sparing society the burden of treatment, rehabilitation, lost productivity, and other social problems."

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 peer review process selected this year's awardees from 512 applicants. To qualify for matching grants, 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. In December of 2001, Congress passed and the President signed into law a five-year extension of the Drug-Free Communities Act authorizing $399 million in funds through FY 2007.