Drug education work group receives federal grant

GAINESVILLE - A Hall County drug education work group is one of three in the state to receive a federal Drug-Free Communities grant.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy announced more than $24.4 million in new Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants to 199 drug free community coalitions throughout the nation. Hall County's Drug Free Communities work group, one of only three recipients in Georgia, received $125,000 per year, renewable for five years.

Hall County's DFC collaborative is a work group of the Hall County Commission for Children and Families (HCCCF). Collaborative members include HCCCF (program supervisor), United Way, Center Point, Hall County Schools (fiscal agent), AVITA Community Partners, the Courts, Dept. of Juvenile Justice, students from area middle and high schools, Dept. of Public Health, parents and others.

The capacity building grant provides funds to hire a community coordinator, supports existing community efforts to educate Hall County regarding its substance abuse issues and helps implement community-wide prevention programs with both youth and parents/adults. The DFC work group expects to announce a coordinator to direct its efforts by Nov. 1.

According the 2007 Healthy Hall Report, 66 percent of 10th graders say it is easy to get alcohol; 37 percent believe their friends would not disapprove of drinking. Forty-eight percent of 12th graders reported using alcohol and 23 percent had used marijuana. When its youth focus group was asked to identify which behaviors are the biggest problems, one youth volunteered that the biggest problems are, in order: drinking, sex and drugs. Most youth in the room agreed. Other comments from youth: Alcohol is the most common problem, and the coolest kids in school are drinkers.

However, Healthy Hall's 2007 survey of 500 homes in Hall County reported, 77 percent of parents believe their kids are prepared to withstand peer pressure and 82 percent report they don't worry about drugs and alcohol.