Press Release August 23, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) - John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today announced the awarding of approximately $74 million in Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants to 736 communities across the country. Of this amount, $8.9 million was awarded to 90 new local anti-drug coalitions nationwide. An additional $62.9 million will support the continuation of awards to 646 existing community coalition projects that, combined with the new grant awards now serve communities in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Drug-Free Community coalitions work collaboratively at the local level to prevent and reduce drug and alcohol abuse among youth.

In addition, 19 new grants totaling $1.32 million were awarded through the DFC Support Mentoring Program. These funds will advance existing DFC grantees to develop more self-supporting community anti-drug coalitions. Under the Mentoring Program, $1.08 million has been awarded to support 15 continuation grants.

Director Walters said, "Engaging our communities is critical to continuing our progress reducing youth drug use. Drug-Free Community coalitions bring together our individual strengths to push back against our common challenge of substance abuse."

"The Drug-Free Communities program is helping to drive down the number of young people using illicit drugs," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, PhD. "These new grants will provide even more resources and tools to additional communities to strengthen their work to prevent drug abuse and promote healthy, productive lives."

The DFC program provides grants of up to $500,000 over five years to community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

The 90 new grantees were selected from 321 applicants through a competitive peer review process. To qualify for matching grants, all awardees must have at least a six-month history of working together on substance abuse reduction initiatives, have representation from twelve specific sectors of the community, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the DFC 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 major funding priorities. In December of 2006, Congress passed and the President signed into law a five-year extension of the Drug-Free Communities Act.

ONDCP administers the DFC program in conjunction with SAMHSA.

More information about the Drug-Free Communities Program is available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/dfc