Jul 13, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A local organization will share in more than $2 million in grant funding to help in the fight against the use of illegal drugs.
Family Recovery Center Inc. and the Jefferson County United Prevention Partnership will be among the programs across Ohio receiving $125,000 that is aimed at funding Drug-Free Community Programs.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Monday made the announcement of the grants that are coming from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
In 1997, Portman authored the Drug-Free Communities Act, which supports evidence-based, community-oriented drug prevention programs. The act is designed to be optimally effective and accountable by capping the amount spent on administrative and overhead expenses, requiring all coalitions that receive grants to have experience in drug abuse prevention, and matching federal funding with local funds.
No other drug prevention program has achieved the same reductions in youth drug use that has been reached consistently by the DFC program. In January 2021, Portman introduced the Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act to provide flexibility to DFC coalitions during the pandemic by temporarily granting ONDCP the authority to waive the program’s local matching requirements if the grantee is unable to meet them due to the COVID-19 issues.
“The Drug-Free Communities program is a proven, evidence-based and community-oriented program that reduces substance abuse among our nation’s youth. I authored this legislation more than 20 years ago during my time in the House of Representatives, and it remains today the most effective program for consistently reducing youth drug use,” Portman said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic had made our efforts to combat addiction much more difficult and this additional federal funding for Ohio will make a big difference,” he added. “I have seen firsthand that prevention is a powerful tool to counteract drug use in our community, and this funding will help these coalitions across the state, along with other coordinated local efforts with local partners, to save lives. With overdose deaths at an all-time high in this country, I am more committed than ever than doing everything I can to help ensure our Ohio communities have the resources and support they need to serve those in need during these unprecedented times.”
Recently, the CDC released data showing that there were 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in2021, the largest number ever recorded in a calendar year. Portman has repeatedly discussed his work to address our nation’s addiction epidemic and the importance of redoubling efforts to save lives.
Link: https://www.heraldstaronline.com/news/local-news/2022/07/local-organization-receives-grant-money-in-the-fight-against-the-use-of-illegal-drugs/