"I'm pleased the president has agreed with my recommendation and appointed Chuck Larson to serve on the Commission on Drug-Free Communities. Chuck is an outstanding leader in the war on drugs in Iowa, and I know he will be an asset to the rest of the country through his new role," Grassley said.
The purpose of the 11-member board is to advise the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policies (ONDCP), or drug czar, on programs created by the Drug-Free Communities Act, such as the distribution of grants to community organizations with a proven record of fighting illegal drug abuse.
Larson serves as chairman of the Iowa Board of Parole, and served for more than four years as the drug policy coordinator for the state of Iowa. Through this role, Larson administered federal anti-crime and state-wide anti-drug prevention and education programs. He also serves as a board member on the Partnership for a Drug-Free Iowa.
Grassley's Drug-Free Communities Act was designed to move federal dollars out of the Washington bureaucracy and put it directly into the hands of community coalitions dedicated to fighting drug use. The law provided $10 million in federal grants in fiscal year 1998, and $20 million has been appropriated for fiscal year 1999. The matching grants are designed to be given directly to grassroots organizations with proven records of success.
"In Iowa, we're seeing methamphetamine wreak havoc at increasingly alarming rates. The Drug-Free Communities Act is important because it recognizes that the best way to fight drug abuse is at the grassroots level," Grassley said. "This program gives much-needed assistance to local coalitions that are at work and achieving success in preventing and reducing drug use in their communities."
Broad-based coalitions run by non-profit, charitable and educational organizations, as well as local governments, are eligible to receive funding under the program. Information about the grant program is available at http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov or http://ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm or by contacting the Grassley's office at (202)224-3744. In September, Grassley announced that the Marshall County Youth and Violence Committee would receive nearly $100,000 through the Drug Free Communities Act for its efforts to increase citizen action in the prevention of substance abuse.
Grassley is a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and serves as chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus.
