WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) attended PreventionFIRST!’s 22nd Annual Community Awards Luncheon to help recognize individuals who have championed drug prevention efforts in their communities.
In 1996 when Portman served in the House of Representatives, he founded the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati, now PreventionFIRST! with an impressive group of Cincinnatians, including Ohio First Lady Emeritus Hope Taft. PreventionFIRST! was founded as a comprehensive effort to help combat youth substance abuse.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 20 years since I helped start this non-profit with Mary Haag, John Pepper, Former Ohio First Lady Hope Taft, and Rev. Damon Lynch. Today I was proud to participate in the presentation of honoring individuals who are shining examples of the unified effort needed to overcome the opioid epidemic gripping our state,” said Portman. “This organization has made a real difference in this community by ensuring data-driven decision-making for prevention action, strengthening local anti-drug efforts, and encouraging collaboration across community sectors to implement evidence-based prevention services.”
Portman has been a leader in the fight for more funding to combat this crisis. Portman worked to secure $1 billion in new funding for state grants to right opioid abuse in the CURES Act and $181 million annually in discretionary spending for new programs through his bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (CARA). Recently, Portman introduced the bipartisan CARA 2.0 Act. This bill will build on the success of CARA, provide additional resources to help turn the tide of addiction, and put in place policy reforms that will strengthen the federal government’s response to this crisis. He also recently announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $485 million in grants to help states fight the heroin and prescription drug epidemic, including $26 million for the state of Ohio.
Photos of the event are below:
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