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Contact info for Senator Lee

Senator Lee is on the Judiciary Committee who is responsible for reauthorizing the program: (202) 224-5444. Ask for Bryson Bachman in Senator Lee’s office. Ask if his boss would pass the DFC Reauthorization? Below are some talking points and an email to send to: Bryson_bachman@lee.senate.gov.

For Senator Hatch's office contact: Angela Sheldon 202-224-5251. angela_sheldon@hatch.senate.gov

Talking Points for Phone Call:

• Senators Grassley and Leahy recently introduced S. 2159, a bill to extend the authorization for the Drug Free Communities Program
• This program has historically had bipartisan support, and I hope your boss will consider signing on as a co-sponsor and work to ensure its swift mark up and passage
• The DFC program has made a real difference in my community, and in communities throughout the country. For example SMART Utah County, our drug prevention coalition in Utah County, has helped reduce prescription drug rates among high school youth and helped reduce the number of prescription drug overdose deaths in our community. With out his grant these efforts would not be possible.
• The national independent evaluation of the program found that those communities that have DFC grants have reduced youth drug use rates to levels lower than the national average
• The DFC reauthorization recognizes that we are in a very tight fiscal environment, and actually REDUCES the authorized amount by $29 million (from the FY 2012 authorized level of $129 million), nearly down to the FY 2007 authorized level of $99 million
• Please consider co-signing this bill and work to ensure the swift passage of the DFC Reauthorization

Follow-up Draft Email

Hi ___,

I’m writing to follow up on our conversation (or voicemail I left you earlier). I just wanted to reiterate that the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program has made a real difference in my community, and I hope that your boss will consider signing on as a co-sponsor and work to ensure the swift mark up and passage of the DFC Reauthorization (S.2159).

The national independent evaluation of the DFC program found that those communities that have DFC grants have reduced drug use rates to levels lower than the national average. In my community, we have also achieved great outcomes. For example:

• Teen prescription drug abuse dropped each year between 2007 and 2011
• SMART has trained over 270 pain pill prescribers to better prescribe and collected over 450,000 abuseable prescription pills (pills destroyed) through prescription drug take back events - pill otherwise available in medicine cabinets for abuse.

As I mentioned when we spoke, the reauthorization recognizes the fact that we are in a very tight fiscal environment, and actually reduces the authorized amount for the program by $29 million (from the FY 2012 authorized level of $129 million) down to nearly the FY 2007 authorized level of $99 million. The DFC program has historically had bi-partisan support, and I hope that your boss will sign on as a co-sponsor and work to ensure the swift mark up and passage of this critical piece of legislation.

If you need any additional information, or if I can be helpful in any way, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Your name here