The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is designed to strengthen community-based coalition efforts to reduce youth substance abuse. The coalitions include community representatives from each of the following areas:

• Youth
• Parents
• Business
• Media
• Schools
• Youth-serving organizations
• Law enforcement
• Civic, volunteer, and fraternal groups
• Health care professionals
• State, local or tribal governmental agencies with expertise in the field of substance abuse
• Other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse

The program will enable these coalitions to enhance collaboration and coordination in an effort to target illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The coalitions will also encourage citizen participation in substance abuse reduction efforts and disseminate information about effective programs.

Congress established this program as part of the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997. The Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is administering the program through an interagency agreement with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

In April 1998, ONDCP and OJJDP jointly solicited program applications from communities nationwide. Nearly 500 communities submitted applications to expand their coalition efforts. Applicants were required to submit a five-year plan to combat youth drug abuse and to certify that they had already worked together for a minimum of six months on substance abuse reduction initiatives.

After a competitive review process, ONDCP and OJJDP selected 93 grantees to receive awards up to $100,000 for a one-year period. The coalitions are required to match their grant awards with funding from non-federal sources. Awards for future years will in part be contingent on funding availability.

OJJDP is also funding an evaluation of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, to be conducted by Caliber Associates, which will determine whether enhancing and strengthening community coalitions has an effect on prevention efforts and ultimately on substance abuse among youth.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Substance Abuse Prevention will provide training and technical assistance for the grantees through the regional Centers for the Application of Prevention Technology.