Continuation Grants Total $60 Million for Drug Free Communities

More than 500 community coalitions nationwide recently received Drug Free Communities (DFC) continuation awards for their programs. Funding totaled approximately $60 million.

R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, made the award announcement.

The Drug Free Communities program is directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in partnership with SAMHSA. SAMHSA supervises and assists grantees in their efforts.

“The Drug Free Communities program reaches about 27 percent of America’s youth," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S, M.P.H. “These new grants will expand the power of prevention to additional communities working to reduce drug abuse and promote healthy, productive lives.”

Five DFC Mentor coalitions also received continuation funding. These grants will assist local community coalitions as they work to prevent and reduce youth substance use.

New potential DFC grantees are anticipating funding announcements soon. A recent SAMHSA News cover story highlighted the Drug Free Communities program and a successful grantee.

The DFC program provides coalition matching grants of up to $625,000 over 5 years to community organizations that support civic 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 DFC program was created by the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997, and was reauthorized by Congress in 2001 and 2006. Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded approximately 1,500 Drug-Free Communities grants to local communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Palau and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information, visit the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.