Statement of John P. Walters
Director of National Drug Control Policy
Before the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and Related Agencies
The Office of National Drug Control Policy's FY 2004 Budget Request for the
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign

April 9, 2003

Rebuilding a National Climate of Disapproval

What we have not yet fully appreciated about the Media Campaign is the potential it has to play as a leading change agent in raising the nation's consciousness about the issue of drugs and our youth. While it is perhaps unrealistic to expect one relatively small federal program, compared to the full effort, to single handedly bring down drug use, it is not inappropriate to look to the Media Campaign as the vanguard of change for all our prevention programs. I would contend, Mr. Chairman, that the Media Campaign, through its communications initiatives, is returning drugs and youth to the kitchen table agendas of grassroots America. And as this occurs, we are producing the conditions for broad progress across the entire breadth of our national, state, and local prevention efforts.

What we have seen in recent years is a dearth of information about the harm drugs pose to our children, especially concerning marijuana, the most widely abused drug by youth. And we have seen a similar lack of public awareness about the threat drugs bring to literally every family of every income and social strata throughout America. The Media Campaign, through its advertising and its grassroots public information programs is returning the issue to the day-to-day awareness of the public. And with this process, we believe the Campaign is leading our national prevention efforts towards a return to the climate of disapproval of drugs that was so important in achieving the low levels of drug use we saw in the early 1990s.