The federal dollars have been awarded through the Drug Free Communities Act, which Grassley sponsored in 1997. "The goal of this initiative is to move federal dollars out of the Washington bureaucracy and directly into the hands of community coalitions dedicated to fighting drug use. The war on drugs is most effectively fought at the grassroots," Grassley said.
Grant money from the Drug Free Communities Support Program can be used for a variety of initiatives that target illegal drug use by young people. The awards made today by the Justice Department to communities across the country include:
In addition, a grant in the amount of $98,993 has been renewed for the Marshall County Youth and Violence Committee in Marshalltown. This is the same amount the committee received last year as part of the federal program.
Non-profit, charitable and educational organizations, as well as local governments, are eligible to receive funding through this DFCA program. To qualify for a grant, the entity must form a coalition that includes a representative from each of these categories: youth, parents, business, media, schools, youth-serving groups, law enforcement, religious organizations, civic volunteer and fraternal groups, health care professionals, state or local government, and one other organization working to reduce substance abuse.
Grassley said the application kit for organizations in Iowa can be obtained by calling the Office of National Drug Control Policy Clearinghouse at 800-666-3332. The information is also available at http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. Tomorrow afternoon, Grassley will appear at a news conference with Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey to highlight the program.
In addition to winning passage of the Drug Free Communities Act, Grassley has worked in Iowa to further enhance community efforts by organizing the first-of-its-kind statewide anti-drug initiative called FIT, or Face It Together. Grassley is a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.