Grace Napolitano: “Mr. Speaker, this bill includes provisions for substance abuse and mental health reauthorization, which allows us to…”

“Mr. Speaker, this bill includes provisions for substance abuse and mental health reauthorization, which allows us to think about our Latino adolescents, ages 9 to 14, leading the Nation in attempted suicide, depression, self-reported gun handling, asthma, diabetes, besides an increase in HIV/AIDS cases and teen pregnancy. I am sorry to have to recognize the need to pay special attention to this segment of the population who are facing great challenges, and I am thankful for the funding. It will help our communities, schools, community-based organizations work together with families to combat this phenomenon in the United States. Mr. Speaker, the violence, the drugs, the cultural assimilation, peer pressure, dysfunctional families, environment, media are all some of the causes we must help our adolescents deal with. Our youngsters are our future; and we must neither neglect, ignore, nor turn our backs on them. They do not vote, but let us give them a voice for the future.”