Press Releases

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement after the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced Cherokee Focus, Inc. and Bartow Against Drugs will each receive a grant of $125,000 from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program:

“Georgia’s 11th Congressional District is a tight-knit community, and organizations like Bartow Against Drugs and Cherokee Focus, Inc. show their dedication every day to ensuring we stay close and engaged with our youth. Given there were so few grants awarded across the nation, this just serves as a reminder that our youth here are supported by some of the best organizations in the country, and we greatly appreciate all they do for our community.”

Bartow Against Drugs is an organization dedicated to raising the awareness in Bartow County about the local substance abuse problems our youth face every day, and how they can find treatment. The $125,000 grant they received was one of only 150 new DFC grants awarded across the nation.

Cherokee Focus Inc. is a 501©3 collaborative that aims to improve the lives of children and families in Cherokee County. By bringing together the faith-based community, civic clubs, law enforcement, educational services, and many more, they can help better the lives of children and families in need. The $125,000 grant they received was one of 525 DFC continuation grants awarded across the nation.

Background on the Drug-Free Communities Support Program

The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.

The DFC Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in local youth drug use prevention efforts.

Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local drug problems. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, healthcare and business professionals, law enforcement, and media. By involving the community in a solution-oriented approach, DFC also helps those youth at risk recognize that the majority of our Nation’s youth choose not to use drugs.

DFC-funded community coalitions continue to make progress toward achieving the goal of preventing and reducing youth substance use. In June, ONDCP released the 2018 Executive Summary and End-of-Year Report for its DFC grant recipients, which continue to yield consistently reduced youth substances use rates.