About Us
Empowering Punta Gorda Youth Towards a Drug-Free Tomorrow: Learn About Our Mission and Impact
The work of DFPG was started by Chrissie Salazar in the fall of 2013 as she visited with local community and business members to gain their support to form a substance abuse prevention coalition that would focus specifically on the youth and teens of Punta Gorda. Chrissie’s efforts to form an independent Drug Free Communities Coalition, resulted in the first official Drug Free Punta Gorda Coalition meeting in April 2014.
Drug Free Communities Grant funding was awarded in Oct 2015; the coalition was also incorporated in Oct 2015. Not yet having a 501 c3 nonprofit status, Charlotte Behavioral Health Care was the original fiscal agent of the Coalition. In December 2016 DFPG was designated as an official non-profit with a 501 c3 status.
High rates of youth substance use continued with the release of the 2014 TeenS Social Norms Survey, when for instance, 35% of Punta Gorda high school students reported past 30-day alcohol use, 6.6 percentage points higher than the statewide average of 28.4%, (2014 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey). DFPG applied for and received the Drug Free Communities Program beginning in September 2015, and since has impacted approximately 3,600 teens each month, as well as parents and families throughout the City. The same survey, 2019, high school teens reported a decrease to past 30-day use of 26%, down 9% in five years! DFPG is currently in its 7th year and has seen success in reducing youth substance use in Punta Gorda.
80%
Don't Use Marijuana
91%
Don't Use Tobacco
75%
Don't Use Alcohol
Board of Directors
Testimonial by Katie Heck: past Chairperson of DFPG Board, current Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District Public Relations Officer, past CCSO Public Relations Specialist, past PGPD Community Affairs.
“I became involved with DFPG largely due to my work in law enforcement. I was passionate about drug enforcement and was very sad to see the effects that drug abuse had on not only individuals that I would arrest over and over, but also families and neighborhoods that lived under a shadow of people who were making the wrong choices in life. I was doing my best to make a difference through enforcement while also recognizing that what we were missing was prevention.....
Success in Reducing Youth Substance Use in Punta Gorda!
Established in 2013, Drug Free Punta Gorda (DFPG) is a local coalition aimed at combatting youth substance use, which a 2012 survey showed to be prevalent in the city. The initiative was crucial given the area's high poverty rates—81.92% of students received free or reduced lunch—and elevated crime levels. Formed nearly a decade after Hurricane Charley destroyed 11,000 homes, 27,000 roofs and two schools, the community was still recovering. Key members like the Punta Gorda Police Department, Charlotte Behavioral Health Care, local schools, and businesses initially joined forces to help teens make healthy, drug-free choices.
Live. Love. Drug Free in Punta Gorda.
To become a sponsor, at any level, contact us today at 601-701-3470 or email: drugfreepuntagorda@gmail.com