Office of Justice Programs News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2000 at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Jennifer Pike, 202/395-6648 (ONDCP)
Adam Spector, 202/307-0703 (OJJDP)

NEARLY $9 MILLION IN GRANTS TO BOLSTER LOCAL ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local efforts to prevent substance abuse by young people will be enhanced through nearly $9 million in Federal grants, the Justice Department and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced today. The new grants will go to 94 sites, including Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C. through the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. The program, now in its third year of funding, is overseen by ONDCP in partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Justice Department agency that administers the grants.

With the addition of the sites announced today, the grants will fund more than 300 community coalitions of youth, parents, media, law enforcement, school officials, religious organizations and other community representatives in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program, which will allow the coalitions to strengthen their coordination efforts to prevent and reduce young people?s illegal use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, will also encourage citizen participation in substance abuse reduction efforts and disseminate information about effective programs.

"For every dollar spent on drug use prevention, communities can save 4 to 5 dollars in costs for treatment and counseling," said Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Acting Administrator John J. Wilson. "Even more important, these efforts can save young people from addiction and help them live productive lives."

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program was created under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-20) to strengthen local anti-drug coalitions, which include businesses, youth service organizations, health care professionals, and State, local or tribal governmental agencies. Each of the coalitions receiving grants has worked together for a minimum of six months on substance abuse reduction initiatives.

ONDCP and OJJDP selected the new sites through a competitive review process from more than 200 applications. In Fiscal Year 1998, ONDCP and OJJDP awarded grants to 93 sites. An additional 124 sites received grants in Fiscal Year 1999.

"We are encouraged that so many communities are coming together to steer youth away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco," added Wilson. "These efforts have already made a difference in young people?s lives, and I am confident that the newest drug-free communities will follow suit." Awards range up to $100,000 for use over the next year. The coalitions, which have developed a long-range plan to reduce substance abuse, are required to match grant awards with funding from non-Federal sources.

The new program sites represent a cross-section of projects from every region in the nation. Fifty-four are predominantly rural, 24 are predominantly urban, and 13 are predominantly suburban. Further, 10 of these sites include tribal communities.

OJJDP is conducting a national evaluation of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. The Center for Application of Prevention Technologies, through funding from OJJDP and the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration?s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), will also provide the grantees technical assistance to help implement effective community prevention programs. In addition, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) provides instrumental support to these grassroots organizations.

Attached is a list of the new Drug-Free Communities Support Program grants. More information about the program is available on the Internet at:

  • ONDCP Web site at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
  • OJJDP Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.
  • Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) web site at www.samhsa.gov/csap.

Individual project summaries will be available for each grant award on OJJDP?s Website at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/dfcs/grantee/00grantees.html

More information is also available from:

  • ONDCP: Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, Box 6000, Rockville, Maryland 20849-6000.
    The toll-free number is 1-800/666-3332.

  • OJJDP: Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, Box 6000, Rockville, Maryland 20857.
    The toll-free number is 1-800/638-8736.

  • Office of Justice Programs (OJP) bureaus and programs: www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

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