Press Release

(Washington, D.C.)—John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today announced that www.PushingBack.com, the Federal Government's first Web blog, has received over one million hits since going live in March of last year. Pushing Back was created to take advantage of the popularity of "blogging" to convey information about the latest National efforts to reduce the harms that illegal drugs cause to the United States. The blog provides daily updates on the White House "Drug Czar," highlights community efforts that "push back" against drug use, and showcases new research that serves to inform policymakers and anti-drug leaders throughout America.

Director Walters said, "Over the past four years, we have seen tremendous progress in reducing drug use in America. Overall youth drug use is down by 19 percent since 2001, more schools are implementing random drug testing, and cooperation with foreign nations has begun to reduce the availability of drugs in the United States. We are pleased that Internet users are taking the time to learn more about our efforts to push back against the drug problem."

ONDCP has recently launched a free podcasting service as part of the PushingBack.com. The podcast delivers audio content of interviews, press conferences, and drug policy related content to users of personal audio players on a regular basis. To learn more about the podcasting service visit www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov/podcast or our blog at www.PushingBack.com