RILEY ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE DRUG PREVENTION GRANT

Gov. Bob Riley recently announced a comprehensive statewide drug prevention
program aimed at steering Alabama's youth away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Funded by a $9 million grant to the governor's office from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, the approach of the new program
will be to combine existing resources of state, regional and local agencies
in developing an overall plan.

Riley has appointed a 23-member committee, chaired by Maury Mitchell of the
Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, to coordinate the project.

According to Jim Plott, spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Economic
and Community Affairs (ADECA) in Montgomery, a statewide survey is
currently being done by the state department of education and compiling
results will take about two months.

At that point the committee will begin approaching different groups and
organizations for the purpose of building the anticipated coalition.

"We're looking for programs that work," he said, "and then sharing
information across the state to help those already engaged in drug
prevention to cooperate and to focus their efforts more effectively."

He said that the implications of the new initiative for Selma and Dallas
County are not yet known.

Gov. Riley told those present at the news conference announcing the grant,
"Drugs and alcohol are a problem in every corner of Alabama and every
segment of society.

"This program enables us to take on the state's youth drug problem by
forming a coalition among agencies that previously might have tried to
tackle the problem independently with varying results. I am excited about
the potential of this program and its common sense approach."

Riley said that the project will be funded over a three-year period.

The funds, he said, will be awarded to mental health and social service
agencies, schools, law enforcement and court officials, and nonprofit
community groups which may choose to form coalitions to solve local and
area drug problems.

Health and Human Services representatives who have already seen positive
results from similar programs in other states have already begun training
in Alabama.

The main target of the effort will be juveniles 12-17 years old since they
are the most likely age group to succumb to pressures to experiment with
alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

The Montgomery news conference was also attended by Health and Human
Services representatives and officials with ADECA, whose Law Enforcement
and Traffic Safety Division is administering the grant