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The Drug-Free Communities Support Program: Fact Sheet
A NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY COALITIONS
THAT PREVENT DRUG USE AMONG YOUTH
SEPTEMBER 2005
On December 14, 2001, President Bush signed P. L. 107-82 that extended the Drug-Free Communities Program (DFC) for five additional years through FY 2007 and authorized an additional $399 million in funding. The two major goals of the program are to reduce substance abuse, including alcohol, tobacco, and drugs among youth and to strengthen collaboration among various sectors in the community. The new legislation extended funding opportunities for current grantees and new coalitions and created a National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute and a Mentor Coalition Program. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for this national initiative, one that awards Federal grants directly to community anti-drug coalitions all across the United States and its territories.
The program currently supports 716 communities in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In September 2005, 176 new grants were awarded. The maximum award is $100,000 per fiscal year, for up to five years. Each grantee is required to match their grant award dollar for dollar with non-Federal funds or in-kind support. In addition, 24 new grants were awarded through the Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring Program. These grants go to existing Drug-Free Communities grantees to facilitate the development of self-supporting community anti-drug coalitions.
Community anti-drug coalitions harness the power of multiple sectors of the community to work together toward using various approaches for evidence-based drug prevention. Coalitions also collect and report local data on youth substance abuse as part of their strategic plan. DFC coalitions are required to include members from different parts of the community working on multiple community drug prevention strategies. Membership includes youth, parents, businesses, the media, schools, youth organizations, law enforcement, religious or fraternal organizations, civic groups, health care professionals, state, local or tribal governmental agencies, and other organizations. Coalitions carry out activities such as town hall meetings on drug issues, youth summits, local drug use surveys, beverage server training, youth leadership training, social marketing campaigns, and policy change.
At the national level, the Drug-Free Communities Program also represents a collaborative effort involving the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Guidance is provided by an eleven-member expert advisory commission appointed by the President.
In addition to its Federal government partners, the program also collaborates with private and state government sector organizations such as Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, The Advertising Council, and the National Prevention Network.
For more information on the program, grant applications and the current grantees, visit the ONDCP or SAMHSA websites at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov and http://www.ondcp.gov/dfc/
