DeWine announces $2.7 million in drug education grants

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced Wednesday the award of $2.7 million in grant funding to 130 law-enforcement agencies in the state for drug education programs.

The following Mahoning Valley agencies are recipients of Drug Use Prevention Grant funds:

Austintown Police Department, $15,994.63

Beaver Police Department, $13,816.40

Canfield Police Department, $1,856.88

Columbiana Police Department, $7,759.80

East Palestine Police Department, $1,766.94

Goshen Police District, $6,918.40

Goshen Township Police Department, $10,006.50

Liberty Township Police Department, $1,925

Lisbon Police Department, $4,200.60

Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, $17,722.50

Newton Falls Police Department, $12,756.96

Vienna Township Police Department, $6,750

The funds must be used to establish or maintain drug-abuse prevention education and awareness programs for students during the 2017-18 school year, according to a news release from DeWine’s office.

Also, grant recipients are required to educate students about over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

“The abuse of prescription drugs is one of the primary reasons behind the current opiate epidemic in Ohio, which is why it’s important that students receive age-appropriate lessons about the dangers of these and other drugs at an early age,” DeWine said.