Grassley Helps Launch New NASA Anti-Drug Website

Grassley Helps Launch New NASA Anti-Drug Website

Iowa Senator Prompts Creative Effort to Combat Youth Drug Use

, DC - Sen. Chuck Grassley today joined astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Eileen Collins, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) General Barry McCaffrey, and Rep. Matt Salmon of Arizona in launching a new website designed to combat drug use by children. Following is Grassley's statement from the press conference.

"First of all, let me thank all of you for being here for this exciting announcement. I'd like to commend NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and Congressman Matt Salmon for their leadership on this project.

"What began as a legislative idea to harness the power of the Internet, has launched into a major campaign to creatively reach out and fight drug use by the youth of America. Our mission is critical. We must seize every opportunity to communicate with our children about the dangerous consequences of using illegal drugs.

"Almost all children dream about becoming an astronaut. I'm proud that this collaborative effort between NASA and Office of National Drug Control Policy will help children to focus on exploring exciting frontiers like space, instead of getting sucked into the black hole of drug use. And, I look forward to watching this initiative take off as other government agencies join our mission."

The new website can be accessed through the NASA home page (www.nasa.gov), or through Grassley's site (http://grassley.senate.gov). According to Grassley, the NASA home page ranks among the most trafficked websites for kids on-line. In July, Grassley introduced legislation directing NASA, in consultation with the ONDCP, to place anti-drug messages on its Internet site. A companion measure offered by Rep. Matt Salmon passed the House of Representatives in June.

As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Grassley works to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. In addition, for three years Grassley has worked with thousands of concerned citizens and the Governor's Alliance on Substance Abuse to bring more Iowans into the effort to fight drug and substance abuse. Grassley's statewide coalition - known as Face It Together, or FIT - is the nation's first-of-its-kind, grassroots-oriented, anti-drug initiative.

This summer, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed an anti-methamphetamine initiative advanced by Sen. Grassley to direct federal anti-drug resources to rural America.