THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

               Helping Communities to Keep Kids Drug-Free
                            September 12, 1998

In his weekly radio address to the nation, President Clinton today announced new federal assistance to enhance grassroots efforts in 93 communities in 46 states to prevent youth drug abuse. Under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, the Administration will release over $8.7 million to fund the work of broad-based community coalitions to target young people's use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Supporting Local Efforts to Combat Youth Drug Use

      Bolstering the number of community anti-drug coalitions. The
     Drug-Free Communities Support Program was created under the 
     Drug-Free Communities Act, which President Clinton signed into 
     law on June 27, 1997.  The Act seeks to expand the number of 
     community anti-drug coalitions -- made up of young people, 
     parents, media, law enforcement, religious and other civic 
     organizations, and school officials -- from the 4,000 today to 
     14,000 over the next five years.  To this end, the Act authorizes 
     $10 million in FY 98, and steadily increases funds to over $43 
     million in FY 2002.

      A catalyst for increased citizen participation.  Today's grants 
     will provide 93 community anti-drug coalitions with much needed 
     funds to build and strengthen their community-wide partnerships 
     to combat drugs.  The Drug-Free Communities Support Program, 
     administered through the Justice Department and White House 
     Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), provides federal 
     matching grants of up to $100,000 to such coalitions.

      Harnessing the commitment of citizen volunteers. Among the
     participating coalitions are: San Antonio Fights Back, which will 
     use its funds to expand mentoring, enhance community policing and 
     after school programs, and establish early identification and 
     treatment referral for drug-abusing youth; and the PIMA Prevention 
     Partnership in Tucson, AZ, which will expand its Teen Courts in 
     Schools and continue its parent education efforts to work with 
     parents to teach accountability skills.

      Linking our national message to local action.  In July, President
     Clinton launched the national expansion of the Anti-Drug Media
     Campaign he first proposed in last year's drug strategy and budget.
     The President's 5-year, $2 billion campaign is designed to let 
     teens know -- when they turn on the television, listen to the 
     radio, or surf the "Net -- that drugs are dangerous, wrong and 
     can kill you.  The grants being awarded today will help 
     communities to reinforce this message by joining together and 
     acting at the local level.

A Record of Accomplishment

     President Clinton consistently has proposed the largest, most
     ambitious anti-drug budgets ever -- and has proposed more than 
     $17 billion for FY 1999.  His 1998 National Drug Control Strategy 
     is a comprehensive ten-year plan designed to cut drug use and 
     availability in half.  Among other initiatives, the Strategy 
     continues the anti-drug media campaign, improves and expands the 
     Safe and Drug-Free Schools program, shields our borders with 
     1,000 new Border Patrol officers and advanced drug detection 
     technologies, strengthens law enforcement with new DEA agents to 
     crack down on heroin and methamphetamine traffickers, and cuts 
     crime by testing and treating crime-committing addicts.