Attorney General Jackley Co-leads AG Effort in Urging Congress to Support Youth Substance Prevention Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 22, 2025

Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is a co-leader of a bipartisan coalition of 38 Attorneys General who are urging Congress to pass the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act.

“Too many young people and their families have been impacted by the dangers of drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other synthetic drugs,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Attorneys General and law enforcement are doing their part to address the problem. Now it is up to Congress to act.”

Attorney General Jackley said the bill emphasizes the importance of proactive, science-based prevention efforts. The Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act would fund a range of efforts to better reach youth with timely, credible, and accessible information, including:

• Culturally relevant PSAs tailored specifically to youth.
• Youth-led PSA contests to drive peer-to-peer engagement and creativity.
• Federal grants for outreach across TV, radio, social media, streaming platforms, and other media.
• Annual reporting requirements to measure reach and effectiveness, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Co-leaders on the letter with Attorney General Jackley are Attorneys General John Formella (New Hampshire), William Tong (Connecticut), and Letitia James (New York). Also on the letter are Attorneys General from the states of Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

The letter can be found here: www.naag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Letter-to-Congress-re-WTC-Health-Program-Funding-_FINAL.pdf

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