Congressman Sander Levin

Drug Free Communities Support Program

I am the co-author of the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, which is designed to reduce substance abuse among young people by supporting community anti-drug coalitions. There are now over 700 Drug Free Community anti-drug coalitions operating across the country.

Since its creation, the DFC program has received widespread, bipartisan support and has seen significant funding increases to support the work of the ever increasing amount of anti-drug coalitions. Unfortunately, funding has not kept pace with demand and, historically, only 34% of applicants have received funding. In the 111th Congress, I am again co-leading a bipartisan effort to better fund the program.

The DFC Program began in 1997 when the Levin/Portman Drug Free Communities bill was signed into law. Rep. Portman (R-OH) and I had compared notes about our work within our districts with community anti-drug coalitions. I was working at the time with the Troy Community Anti-Drug Coalition and Mr. Portman was helping to establish a city-wide coalition in Cincinnati. From these conversations grew the Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC). Our partners in the Senate were Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Biden (D-DE).

Initially, the DFC program provided community coalitions small grants, which had to be matched by the community, of $100,000 to support broad-based community efforts to combat substance abuse. The law was strengthened in 2001 when the Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute was established to provide the training necessary for more communities to join in the effort and to sustain the efforts of existing coalitions. The updated law also added a mentoring grant so that strong community coalitions could help neighboring communities start an anti-drug effort. The most recent reauthorization in 2006 boosted funding for community grants to $125,000.

You may learn more about the Drug Free Communities Support Program on their website or find a your local anti-drug coalition here.

(Updated June 18, 2009)