CINCINNATI – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) on Friday welcomed the announcement of Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant recipients, both new and continuation, in Ohio.

The Mental Health Recovery Services of Warren & Clinton County was awarded a FY 2019 DFC Support Program grant of $125,000 by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The goal of the coalition is to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance misuse.

The coalition will achieve its goal by implementing these strategies:

1. Collaborate with youth led prevention groups that empower students to refrain from alcohol misuse.

2. Educate family members and the community about the risks of underage drinking.

3. Encourage parents to talk to their children about their disapproval of underage drinking.

4. Create barriers to reduce youth access to alcohol.

5. Create an e-cigarette education campaign providing a single community message to educate on the dangers of juuling and vaping.

6. Provide training/forums to educators and parents on how to communicate a no use message to youth.

7. Support youth led prevention.

8. Institute a community wide project against e-cigarette use, working closely in collaboration with law enforcement, healthcare systems, local companies, and schools.

About DFC

In 1997, Portman authored the Drug-Free Communities Act, which supports evidence-based, community-oriented drug prevention programs.

It is designed to improve effectiveness and accountability in these programs by capping the amount spent on administrative and overhead expenses, requiring all coalitions that receive grants to have experience in drug abuse prevention, and to match federal funding with local funds.

“No other drug prevention program has achieved the same reduction in youth drug use that has been achieved consistently by the DFC program,” stated a news release from Portman’s office.

Portman said on today’s announcement: “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. I founded the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati, now PreventionFIRST!, as a comprehensive effort to address youth substance abuse, and it’s something I care deeply about.

“I have seen firsthand that prevention is a powerful tool to counteract drug use in our community, and this funding helps youth throughout Ohio make better, more healthy choices,” Portman added. “These grants will help those on the front lines in Ohio combat this crisis as we work together to turn the tide of addiction.

“I’m pleased that the Trump administration has taken a leading role in combating this crisis of addiction gripping our country, and I will continue working with them to turn the tide of this drug epidemic.”