Grassley, Shaheen Seek to Prevent Youth Opioid Abuse

WASHINGTON– Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today introduced theKeeping Drugs Out of Schools Act. The bipartisan bill would combat youth opioid abuse by enabling school partnerships with current or formerDrug-Free Communitiesto educate students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Stamping out drug abuse in our communities and schools demands an all-hands approach. One piece of the puzzle is supporting drug prevention programs that educate young people about synthetic opioids and preventable resources,”Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this vital and fiscally responsible bill to protect our next generation from the dangers of addiction.”
“Our bipartisan bill will help save lives by educating students and young people across the country about the dangers of synthetic opioids,”Shaheen said. “We’ve made progress in recent years to stem the substance use epidemic, but there’s more we can and should do to ensure kids know just how deadly opioids can be. Our bipartisanKeeping Drugs Out of Schools Actwould help do just that.”
Find bill textHERE.
Background:
TheKeeping Drugs out of Schools Actestablishes a five-year grant program that would allow elementary, middle and high schools to apply for up to $75,000 in federal funding to plan, implement and evaluate effective drug prevention initiatives. Eligible schools could renew their grant eligibility for up to three more years.
Grassley helped create the Drug-Free Communities program in 1998, after establishing Iowa’s“Face It Together,” or FIT– a first-of-its-kind, statewide anti-drug effort. Today, the Drug-Free Communities program serves 751 communities across the nation and supports 6.1 million middle and high school students.
-30-