On Friday senator Tom Harkin announced a $360,000 Department of Justice grant for the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Block Grant Program. The grant will be awarded to the Iowa Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Agency.

“Underage drinking can have serious, tragic consequences, and this grant will help our state enforce the law and keep our kids safe,” Senator Harkin said . “One of the best ways to prevent long term health problems is to stop bad habits before they start. This measure will help reduce the alarming trend of underage alcohol abuse.”

The goal of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Program is to support and enhance State efforts, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, or the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. For the purpose of the program, minors are defined as individuals under 21 years of age.

The State of Iowa plans to provide program funding to support underage drinking enforcement efforts throughout the State. The amount of funding apportioned is determined by the juvenile population in each district. The judicial district boards meet to review local data and determine the district priorities pertaining to underage drinking in their area. Initiatives would include programming for prevention, treatment, education, as well as the use of youth task forces.