WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has notified Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) that the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals has received $350,000 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The grant will be used to fund the 2006 Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws Program. The goal of the program is to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, or the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. The federal drinking age is 21 and minors are defined as individuals under 21 years of age. Underage drinking is a serious problem in many communities, Reed said. I am pleased to see this funding support a state-wide effort to combat the consumption, possession and abuse of alcohol among minors.