LT. GOVERNOR AIONA ANNOUNCES $10 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION IN HAWAI`I

For Immediate Release: October 23, 2006

HONOLULU – Lieutenant Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. today announced that the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded Hawai`i $10,465,000 over the next five years to improve substance abuse prevention planning and programs.

“This grant will provide significant resources to build on the progress our state has made over the past four years to control drug abuse and underage drinking,” said Lt. Governor Aiona, who has served on SAMHSA’s National Advisory Council since 2004. “In particular, these funds will enable us to strengthen our statewide substance abuse prevention plan.”

The Strategic Prevention Framework – State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) will bring the state, counties, federal government and local communities together to:

• Build on the state’s coordinated and comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention and minimize duplicative efforts among partnering agencies.
• Ensure that prevention is the first line of defense against illegal drug use and underage drinking.
• Systematically assess prevention needs based on epidemiological data and identify gaps in data and services.
• Strategically plan and implement alcohol and other substance abuse prevention programs that are culturally appropriate and community-based and incorporate a comprehensive evaluation process to assess program effectiveness.

“This project is particularly exciting because it will have the active participation and input of the counties, whose commitment at the onset helped us obtain the grant, as well as local communities,” added Lt. Governor Aiona.  “It’s a unifying mechanism for us to coordinate and improve the quality of substance abuse prevention programs based upon a strategic framework we adopted earlier this year.”

The grant will be administered by the State Department of Health’s Alcohol Drug Abuse Division. Initially, organizations that will participate in the process include the Lt. Governor’s Office, Department of Human Services, Office of Youth Services, Attorney General’s Office, mayors’ offices from each county and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

Lt. Governor Aiona made the federal grant announcement at a proclamation ceremony designating the last week in October as “Red Ribbon Week” in Hawaii.  Red Ribbon Week is recognized as the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country, in which citizens demonstrate their commitment to leading drug-free lives by wearing red ribbons. 

Red Ribbon Week commemorates the life of federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who in 1985 was killed by illegal drug traffickers in Mexico.  At today’s ceremony, Lt. Governor Aiona presented the official proclamation to Tony Williams, special agent in charge at the Honolulu DEA Office.  

“Although Red Ribbon week is observed only once a year, we need to remember that drug and alcohol awareness and prevention efforts are happening throughout Hawai`i all year round,” said Lt. Governor Aiona. “Red Ribbon Week is an especially appropriate time for all of us to renew our commitment to reject drugs and underage drinking as part of our collective culture, as well as in our personal lives.  It’s also an opportunity for us to recognize and thank all those in the community who work diligently in the fields of substance abuse prevention, treatment and law enforcement in our state.”   

Among those attending the Red Ribbon proclamation ceremony were public high school (Kaimuki, Roosevelt, Kalani) students and teachers from the Department of Education Peer Education Program, who will conduct drug awareness activities in their schools during Red Ribbon Week, along with middle school students from Kamehameha School who will participate in a Month of the Adolescent Youth activity featuring a drug awareness and education component. 

Representatives from the Hawai`i National Guard Counter-Drug Unit, the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai`i, and the Coalition for a Drug Free Hawai`i also took part in today’s announcement.  These organizations will make presentations in classrooms and at community events over the next week to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and underage drinking. 

View the news conference on the Lt. Governor’s Web site at www.hawaii.gov/ltgov.

####

For more information, contact:
Karl P. Espaldon
Drug Control Liaison
Phone: (808) 586-0275

Celyn Chong Kee
Public Liaison
Phone: (808) 586-0274

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043