Rep. Cuellar Announces $625,000 in Federal Funding for WestCare to Combat Substance Abuse at Laredo ISD and United ISD
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jan 4, 2024, 0 Comments
Courtesy Arturo Olivarez,
Laredo, TX – U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) announced $625,000 in federal funding for WestCare to combat substance abuse at Laredo Independent School District and United Independent School District. The federal grant is provided by the FY23 Drug-Free Communities Support Program through the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The funds will be used to combat substance abuse, including alcohol, synthetic cannabinoids, and marijuana, by establishing and strengthening community collaboration strategies. These include:
providing information to increase perception of risk or harm;
increasing the perception of peer disapproval of use;
decreasing past 30-day use;
increasing the perception of parental disapproval of use; and,
changing the culture and context regarding acceptability of use and misuse of substances.
Over 1,400 students across Laredo ISD and United ISD will benefit from this award.
“Investing in programs that combat substance abuse is not only a moral imperative, but a transformative act that uplifts our community as a whole, especially for our children. We must continue to prioritize the health and success of our youth by providing them support and resources to stay drug free,” said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This federal funding addresses youth substance abuse by allowing WestCare to work directly with Laredo ISD and United ISD to implement crucial drug prevention strategies. I want to recognize Jaime Arizpe, CEO of DFC-FACE at WestCare, for his leadership in addressing substance abuse within our community.”
Dr. Cuellar is a strong supporter of drug and substance abuse prevention. In 2023, he announced $4,750,000 in federal funding to combat drug and substance abuse in Webb County:
$2,000,000 for the Webb County 406th Judicial District Adult Drug Court Program;
$2,000,000 for the Webb County Court at Law II DWI Court Program; and,
$750,000 for the Webb County Court at Law II Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program.
