08.29.18

Hoeven Announces $375,000 In Funding To Prevent Substance Abuse In North Dakota

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has awarded three grants totaling $375,000 to community anti-drug coalitions in Grand Forks, Fargo and Wahpeton. The funds are awarded through ONDCP’s Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Details are as follows:

  • Grand Forks Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition – $125,000
  • Impact Foundation in Fargo – $125,000
  • Youth Empowered for Success (YES) in Wahpeton – $125,000

“Today’s funds are part of our continued efforts to address substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, in communities throughout North Dakota,” Hoeven said. “By helping our local communities with drug prevention and control efforts, we can leverage local expertise to more effectively curtail substance abuse.”

Hoeven recently joined the Senate in passing funding legislation to help combat the opioid abuse epidemic. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven advocated strong support for opioid abuse prevention, treatment and recovery programs and initiatives at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Further, the legislation directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to prioritize efforts to combat opioid abuse in rural communities. This is similar to an amendment Hoeven sponsored and included in the Senate’s farm bill for the Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grant program.

These funding measures complement Hoeven’s continued work to provide resources and support to combat the opioid abuse epidemic, including prevention, treatment, recovery and law enforcement efforts. This includes Hoeven’s Illegal Synthetic Drug Safety Act, legislation that closes a loophole that enables companies to circumvent the law and sell synthetic variations of drugs, like the powerful drug fentanyl, by labeling the products as “not for human consumption.” 

The senator has also cosponsored the Synthetic Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which would require shipments from foreign countries sent through the U.S. Postal Service to provide electronic data. This will empower Customs and Border Protection to better target potential illegal substances like fentanyl and prevent it from being shipped into the country.

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