WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today praised the grassroots coalitions that have received funding through the Drug Free Communities grant program and are working to stop drug problems at the local level. A report released today by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which evaluated the Drug Free Communities grant program, showed that grant awardees have reduced alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use in their communities faster than the national average.
Grassley has long been a leader in the fight against drugs. He first sponsored the Drug Free Communities Act in 1997. He took the lead to see that the legislation was reauthorized in 2001 and again in 2006. The program aims to help people at the grassroots who know best how to deal with the drug problem at the local level and get the help they need to succeed.
"My goal is to help put resources in the hands of people at the grassroots who know best how to deal with the drug problems in their own communities. Now we're seeing evidence that Drug Free Communities grants have been very effective in helping communities organize to stop drug abuse," Grassley said.
The Drug Free Communities Grant Program awards grants to community coalitions for amounts up to $125,000 through a competitive grant award process. The focus of the program is on community coalitions aimed at reducing substance abuse among youth. Coalitions must provide an equal match for the Drug Free Community grant funds they receive. Awardees are expected to collaborate with members of the community including government agencies, students, schools and community leaders to coordinate and strengthen efforts to reduce substance abuse. The program acts as a catalyst for increased citizen participation in efforts to reduce substance use among youth, and it provides drug-free community coalitions with much-needed funds to carry out their important missions.
In the late 1990s, Grassley also launched an extensive first-of-its-kind statewide initiative to address Iowa's drug problem at the grassroots. "Face It Together," or FIT, was designed to help Iowans work together to keep their schools, workplaces and communities drug-free. FIT recently joined forces with the Partnership for a Drug Free Iowa to continue to promote programs that educate Iowans on the dangers of drugs.
A copy of the report can be found on the Office of National Drug Control Policy website.
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