Washington – Senator Evan Bayh announced today that the Shelby County Drug-Free Coalition has been awarded a five-year, $625,000 grant from the Office of National Drug Policy’s Drug-Free Communities Support Program (DFC) to help reduce youth substance abuse.

“We have an obligation to support efforts that will help our children grow up sober, safe and smart,” Senator Bayh said. “The Shelby County Drug-Free Coalition has a strong track record of steering Hoosier teens toward healthy choices. Programs like this one play a key role in helping young people realize their full potential in life by avoiding the destructive consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.”

The Shelby County Drug-Free Coalition takes a multifaceted approach to reducing youth substance abuse. With the DFC grant, awarded as $125,000 annually over five years, the Coalition will strengthen current efforts and increase collaboration between private nonprofits and local and state governments to decrease youth drug and alcohol use.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to expand our role in substance abuse reduction in our community. This funding will allow us to more effectively lead and coordinate a collaborative effort to reduce substance abuse,” said Amy Larrison, executive director of the Shelby County Drug-Free Coalition. “From continued community assessment and reporting to facilitating partnerships which lead to community-level change, we are ready to meet the challenges ahead.”

Senator Bayh has been a strong proponent of Senate efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs. He supported reauthorization of the Drug-Free Communities Act in 2001 and 2006 and cosponsored the Combat Meth Act, requiring that pseudoephedrine—a main ingredient in methamphetamines—be sold behind the pharmacy counter and in limited quantities.

The Shelby County Drug-Free Coalition was among 199 community organizations nationwide to receive funding under the DFC program this year through a competitive peer review process. Since 1997, the DFC program has distributed more than $560 million in grants to more than 1,000 community anti-drug coalitions.

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