LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to affirm our Nation's commitment to substance abuse prevention by
appropriating sufficient funding

WHEREAS, Addiction is a complex disease of the brain influenced by a
number of factors, including genetics, environment, and age of first use
that begins in adolescence, sometimes as early as childhood, for which
effective prevention is critical; and
WHEREAS The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services (OASAS) funds over 290 prevention programs statewide that are
delivered by a wide range of organizations, including specialized
substance abuse prevention organizations, community-based prevention
providers, school-based prevention programs, local governments and
addiction treatment providers; and
WHEREAS, OASAS, in partnership with school districts across New York
State, conducted a Youth Development Survey, in order to improve the
State's efforts to promote healthy youth development; increase the posi-
tive impact of our prevention services by reducing the costs and conse-
quences of addiction; and, assist communities in developing a package of
evidence-based programs and practices that best meet their needs; and
WHEREAS, Without continued funding and support from the federal
government, OASAS' "Risk and Protection Framework", a model used by
Federal, State and Local government agencies, community partnerships and
prevention service providers to guide their planning and program devel-
opment would be compromised and the ability of New York State to support
evidence-based prevention programming would be threatened; and
WHEREAS, New York State is slated to lose annually over $20 million,
including over $4 million administered by OASAS, with the elimination of
the State Grants portion of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communi-
ties (SDFSC) program; and
WHEREAS, The FY 2011 Federal Budget does not include funding to
protect school-based prevention infrastructure; the elimination of the
State Grants portion of the SDFSC program would dismantle the current
Local infrastructure currently in place in New York State and leave the
vast majority of our state's schools, students and communities with
little or no drug prevention programming; and
WHEREAS, According to studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse
and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the younger
a person first uses drugs or alcohol, the greater the likelihood that
they will become dependent and/or addicted to drugs and alcohol as an
adult; and
WHEREAS, Youth who first smoke marijuana under the age of 14 are more
than five times as likely to abuse drugs in adulthood; and
WHEREAS, Forty percent of youth who began drinking before age 15 were
classified as dependent later in life; and
WHEREAS, Preventing substance abuse is cost effective; and
WHEREAS, The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that every dollar
invested in research-based substance abuse prevention programs, strate-
gies and activities have the potential to save up to $7 in treatment and
criminal justice costs; and
WHEREAS, Youth aged 12-17 who reported violent behaviors in the past
year also reported higher rates of past year alcohol use compared with
youth who did not report violent behavior; and
WHEREAS, On average, students whose peers avoided substance use had
test scores (measured by the Washington State math and reading stand-
ards) that were 18 points higher for reading, and 45 points higher for
math; and

WHEREAS, Addiction is a chronic disease for which there are effective
school and community-based prevention programs, strategies and activ-
ities; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to affirm
our Nation's commitment to substance abuse prevention by appropriating
sufficient funding in an amount at least equal to the level of funding
previously received from the Safe and Drug Free Schools State Grants
program to ensure that there is effective school and community-based
prevention so that all youth receive the benefits of effective
prevention programs, strategies and services to reduce alcohol, tobacco
and drug use; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
New York.