In front of a crowd of approximately three thousand community leaders, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) received the National Leadership Award yesterday from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), one of the nation’s leading drug abuse prevention organizations. The National Leadership Award is CADCA’s highest honor and was awarded to Dodd for his decades-long leadership in the Senate as a champion of programs to prevent drug and alcohol abuse.
In his remarks after accepting the award today, Dodd said, “I will always cherish the work I’ve been able to do with CADCA because, at the end of the day, it really is true that, if you can keep one kid from trying drugs, make one school a better and safer place to learn, help one community break the cycle of dependence and violence and poverty, then all the hard days and long nights will have been worth it.”
“I know times are tight, for our government just like for American families. But I’ve fought to keep our schools and communities drug-free because there’s no better investment,” Dodd continued. “These programs cut drug use. It’s a fact. And that results in higher test scores, less violence, more opportunity for our kids, and more life in our communities.”
“Senator Chris Dodd is one of the most outstanding champions the community-based drug prevention field has ever had. His commitment to continually working to ensure that federal underage drinking and drug use prevention programs are fully funded has been extraordinary,” said Gen. Arthur T. Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO. “Senator Dodd’s efforts helped ensure that alcohol and drug use prevention were explicitly included in the Senate version of healthcare reform. His leadership on alcohol and drug issues affecting youth and families has been consistent, heartfelt and invaluable. With his retirement from the U.S. Senate, we are losing one of the most effective and passionate legislators for our field.”
Throughout his nearly three decades in the Senate, Dodd has backed federal programs and legislation aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse as well as underage drinking. Most recently, Dodd sought to fully incorporate substance abuse prevention and treatment into the health reform bill passed by the Senate. He has also introduced several pieces of legislation focused on reducing substance abuse in communities, including the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program, both of which were signed into law.
This week, CADCA held their 20th Annual National Leadership Forum, which took place just outside Washington, D.C. in National Harbor, Maryland. CADCA is one of the nation’s leading national drug abuse prevention organizations, representing more than 5,000 community anti-drug coalitions in the country.
