The Drug-Free Communities Support Program (DFC) is a Federal grant program that provides funding to community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use.  Since the passage of the DFC Act in 1997, the DFC Program has funded more than 2,000 coalitions and currently mobilizes nearly 9,000 community volunteers across the country.

The philosophy behind the DFC Program is that local drug problems require local solutions. The primary purpose of the DFC program is to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies; as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and to reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

In Ohio, the leading cause of death among those age 1 to 44 is injury and/or violence.  Injury and violence related deaths outpace all other causes combined, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.  As such, Violence and Injury Prevention seeks to prevent and/or mitigate the potential causes and circumstances that can create injury and death.

Reviewing both state and local data highlights that the greatest risk for injury and death arises from substance use disorder, overdose, and subsequent substance use related health issues.  Locally, this data has been analyzed and used to help create targeted strategies and programming specific to our population needs.

The Portsmouth City Health Department and Office of Injury Prevention is committed to strengthening and sustaining effective injury prevention and control measures that reflect the significance of the issues that are present in the community.  The influx of illicit Fentanyl and Fentanyl analogues into communities have had devastating impacts and caused a staggering loss of life.  Recognizing these increased risks, the Portsmouth City Health Department and Office of Injury Prevention has endeavored to increase education, outreach, and harm reduction strategies all aimed at reducing the rate of both fatal and non-fatal overdose.

• From 1999 to 2012, the number of deaths in Ohio due to unintentional drug overdose increased 485 percent, and the increase has been driven largely by prescription drug overdoses.
• In Ohio, since 2007, there have been more deaths from drug overdose than from motor vehicle traffic crashes.
• There were 327 fatal drug overdoses in 1999 and the number grew to 1,914 deaths in 2012.
• Females represent the fastest growing group at risk for fatal prescription drug overdose.

The Ohio Buckles Buckeyes Program is a child passenger safety program of the state of Ohio that provides child safety seats and booster seats to low income families in Ohio.

The goals of the program are to reduce the number of child traffic deaths, to increase the availability of child safety seats, to increase the use of child safety seats, and to increase the proper installation and use of seat belts.

Those who are permanent residents of Ohio who have children that require a car seat are eligible.

The families must meet WIC income guidelines but they do not need to be enrolled in the WIC program.

Prior to receipt of a child safety seat, families must attend a class provided by trained Child Passenger Safety staff.

State requirements for Child Passenger Safety

As of Oct. 7, 2009, Ohio’s child restraint law requires the following:

• Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat.
• Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.
• Children ages 8-15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt.
• Children age 15 and older must wear a safety belt in the front seat
• A driver between the ages of 15 and 17 may not have more passengers than there are seatbelts

Fines will range from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $75 per occurrence. Second offense fines have a maximum of $250 and jail time to 30 days. A booster seat can be purchased for as little as $15.

It is advised that a children to stay in car seats or boosters as long as possible, even beyond the requirements of state law.The OBB program is overseen by The Ohio Department of Health and is in all 88 counties.

Each county receives a set number of car seats at intervals throughout the year.

These seats are distributed to children who are on WIC (Women Infants and Children) or who are WIC income eligible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I sign up for a car seat?
A: Go to the Portsmouth City Health Department at 605 Washington Street, Portsmouth, to complete the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes application. Applicants are contacted in date order (when the application was received) to schedule a car seat class.

Q: How long is the class?
A: Approximately 30-40 minutes.

Q: Do I have to bring my child?
A: No, but it is best if you do, as we fit the child into their car seat.

Q: What if I do not need a car seat, but want to take the educational class?
A: We encourage anyone who wants to learn about car seats to sit in on a class