[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 49 (Friday, March 14, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF PREVENTED

 Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I rise today to honor PreventEd in 
St. Louis, MO, for 60 years of reducing and preventing the harms of 
alcohol and other drug use.
  As our country reels from the devastating effects of drug and alcohol 
abuse, our Nation's young people must be educated about the dangers of 
these addictive substances. Founded on March 16, 1965, PreventEd has 
been dedicated to education, intervention, and advocacy to reduce the 
abuse of alcohol and other drugs in eastern Missouri. Their key focus 
areas include school-based prevention education and early intervention 
efforts for K-12 programming, peer support provided by certified peer 
specialists to address substance abuse, assessment and referral 
services, community coalitions, and advocacy to provide a voice to 
Missourians who have been impacted by substance misuse with Federal, 
State, and local government and their agencies. PreventEd realizes that 
drug and alcohol abuse have affects on individuals and society, and 
both components must be addressed to substantially mitigate the 
devastating effects like overdose deaths, chronic health problems, 
family dysfunction, and involvement in crime.
  When I served as Attorney General of Missouri, I sued pharmaceutical 
giants over their role in the opioid crisis. Missouri received $458 
million as part of that settlement which went to fund drug treatment 
and prevention programs. Organizations like PreventEd have stood in the 
gap to ensure that young people are fully aware of drug misuse and have 
the proper resources for recovery. In their 60 years, they have served 
over 55,000 young people and more than 200,000 community members in the 
eastern region of Missouri. I am proud of the work they do and wish 
them continued success as they persevere in the important work of 
curbing alcohol and drug abuse in eastern Missouri.

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