​​​

Created in 1997, the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funds community-based coalitions that engage multiple sectors of the community to prevent youth substance use.

 

The DFC Support Program provides grants up to $125,000 per year for five years to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. After five years, community coalitions may re-compete for another five-year cycle. 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 substance use problems. DFCs involve local communities in finding solutions and also helps youth at risk for substance use recognize the majority of our nation’s youth choose not to use substances. As demonstrated by independent evaluations, the DFC Support Program significantly reduces substance use amongst youth, the target population.

​

DFC Coalitions consist of community leaders representing twelve sectors that organize to meet the local prevention needs of the youth and families in their communities. These twelve sectors are:

​

• Youth

• Parents

• Businesses

• Media

• School

• Youth-serving organizations

• Law enforcement

• Religious/fraternal organizations

• Civic and volunteer organizations

• Healthcare professionals

• State, local, and Tribal governments

• Other organizations involved in reducing illicit substance use

 

By funding these coalitions, the DFC Support Program ensures communities adopt a balanced and comprehensive approach to reducing substance use in their neighborhoods. Youth substance use significantly decreases in communities with a DFC coalition. The graphs below show the percentage of students in communities with a DFC coalition who reported they had not used a drug in the past 30 days.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​