Federal Grant Aids Rutherford Anti-Drug Efforts

August 31, 2010, MURFREESBORO – A $125,000 Drug Free Communities Support Program grant will allow the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of Rutherford County to continue its efforts to curb drug use among the county’s youth, Congressman Bart Gordon announced.

“These funds will help CADCOR continue its efforts to reduce young people’s access to drugs in Rutherford County,” Gordon said. “This is an organization that looks at the factors that drive kids to drug use and aims to stop drug abuse at the root causes.”

CADCOR is an alliance of community agencies, groups and individuals working to reduce youth substance abuse at the community level. CADCOR will use the grant to assess and address youth drug use in Murfreesboro, with a focus on the Patterson Park community area. DFC funding accounts for a substantial proportion of the program’s total budget, according to Coalition Coordinator Karen Lambert.

“Our DFC funding will allow us to conduct student surveys and learn about the issues young people face. Alcohol and marijuana remain major problems and prescription drug abuse is on the rise,” Lambert said. “We collaborate closely with families, retail establishments and law enforcement to figure out where kids are getting these things and what can be done to make them harder to access.”

The President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy administers the Drug Free Communities Support Program.