[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S450-S451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL DRUG PREVENTION AND EDUCATION WEEK

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague, 
Senator Biden, in cosponsoring a resolution to designate the week of 
February 10-16, 2008, as National Drug Prevention and Education Month. 
Although recent survey data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration shows illegal drug use among youth has 
declined by 24 percent since 2001, the number of teens abusing 
prescription and over-the-counter medicines has rapidly increased. Kids 
are turning to these dangerous drugs because they are easily accessible 
and widely used. Many of us do not realize that our left-over 
prescriptions and cold medicines are just as addictive and dangerous as 
meth or heroin when not properly used. This is why we must continue our 
efforts to inform the public about the dangers of these and other 
drugs. We must continue to do all we can to prevent our kids from 
falling into a vicious cycle of drug abuse and dependence.
  Research has shown that if you can keep a child drug free until they 
turn 20, chances are very slim that they will ever try or become 
addicted to drugs. This is why it is essential to maintain a coherent 
antidrug message that begins early in adolescence and continues 
throughout the growing years. Such an effort must engage professionals, 
parents, communities, and young people. While the Federal Government 
has a role to play in supporting these activities, local, community-
based initiatives are better able to target specific concerns and 
respond to them flexibly.
  Local community antidrug coalitions are our first line of defense 
against the scourge of drug abuse. Each community is different from the 
other, and each community antidrug coalition is tailored to meet the 
specific antidrug needs of its community. For example, I formed the 
Face It Together, FIT, Coalition in an effort to combat drug use in 
Iowa. My goal with FIT is to bring to the same table parents, 
educators, businesses, religious leaders, law enforcement officials, 
health care providers, youth groups, and members of the media to 
promote new ways of thinking about how to reach and educate Iowans 
about the dangers of drug abuse. With everyone working together, we 
will make a difference in our communities. Moreover, together we can 
build healthy children, healthy families, healthy communities, and a 
healthy future for society at large.
  Community antidrug coalitions would not be able to succeed in 
fighting drug abuse without the support of the Community Anti-Drug 
Coalitions of America, CADCA. CADCA works to strengthen the ability of 
new and existing community coalitions to build safe, healthy, and drug-
free communities and helps provide vital funding to local coalitions 
through the Drug Free Communities grant program.
  Since the inception of the Drug Free Communities grant program over 
1,300 community coalitions have received grants nationwide. There have 
been 43 coalitions in my State of Iowa that have received grants to 
provide crucial assistance to combat the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and 
illegal drugs. These coalitions have been successful in tracking the 
use of illegal drugs in their communities, starting afterschool and 
summer programs for kids, holding community events and townhall 
meetings, and uniting all sectors of the community to fight drug abuse.
  I believe that we have a moral obligation to ensure that our young 
people have a chance to grow up without being accosted by drug dealers 
at every turn, whether on TV, in the movies, or on the way to school. 
We need, as a country, to create a strong moral context to help our 
kids know how to make the right choices. They need to know how to say 
``no.'' They need to know that saying ``no'' is OK. They need to know 
that saying ``no'' to drugs is the right thing to do, not just the safe 
thing or the healthier thing

[[Page S451]]

but the right thing. I urge my colleagues to join us in passing this 
resolution to show our ongoing support for community antidrug 
coalitions that work to eliminate drug abuse throughout the Nation.

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