I. Stopping Use Before It Starts: Education and Community Action
When President Bush took office, he set out a bold agenda to counter unacceptably high levels of drug use, and the Nation is seeing results: drug use is down, particularly by young people. At the heart of the Administration's success is a change in perceptions about using illicit substances. In his 2006 State of the Union Address, the President highlighted what he called a “revolution of conscience” in which young people find that personal responsibility and a life of fulfillment go hand in hand. ONDCP's drug policies have focused on effecting this change through education programs and outreach activities that are backed up by scientific studies, and have worked to spread the word that illicit substance use can be harmful to a person's health and well being, as well as a detriment to society as a whole. Falling levels of drug use are evidence that the efforts by this Administration, Congress, and communities across the Nation are working to change the culture of acceptance towards drug use. In addition to working to prevent the onset of drug use, the National Drug Control Strategy has made healing drug users a priority—a testament to the fact that America is the land of second chances.
The greatest pressure on young people to start using drugs does not come from drug pushers but from their peers. It is, therefore, important to continue to educate young people about the dangers of drug use and build a cultural norm that views illicit drug use as unacceptable. This culture, and the attitudes that support it, works as a bulwark against the spread of drug use.
Media Campaign
There are many types of prevention programs, and the Strategy discusses several—including community-based programs and school-based programs, as well as student drug testing. In addition to these important efforts, ONDCP's own National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is leading our efforts to reduce youth drug use. The Media Campaign is an integrated effort that combines advertising with public communications outreach. It has drawn on the strengths of each of these fields, developing in the process a series of advertisements that aim to change youth attitudes about drug use, encourage parents to monitor teen behavior, and promote early intervention against the first signs of drug use.
ONDCP's Media Campaign recently launched a new advertising and online campaign for teens aged 14–16. “Above the Influence” challenges teens to live above the negative pressures in their lives, and encourages youth to resist drug use by rejecting negative influences, empowering them to make positive choices. The “Above the Influence” campaign speaks directly to the aspirations of teenagers, and delivers a powerful message that squarely addresses the social context that leads to harmful decisions, such as drug use. A teen who is “Above the Influence” recognizes the risks of negative influences and is determined to live above them.
The President's 2007 Budget proposes $120 million for the Media Campaign, an increase from FY 2006's enacted level but the same as the FY 2006 request. We believe continued erosion in the ability for the Media Campaign to reach its target audiences due to budget cuts could well result in a major loss of the momentum we have achieved over the past four years and therefore a resulting rebound in youth drug use.
Drug Testing
Promoting a culture that supports healthy, drug-free choices also requires providing disincentives to using drugs. Screening for drugs is an important way to send the message that drug use is unacceptable—in the workplace, in schools, or as a condition for student participation in extracurricular activities. Screening for drug use gives young people an “out” to say no to drugs. If they want to play on the volleyball team and know that they will be tested as members of the team, they can cite their desire to play as a reason not to use drugs when pressured by a peer.
Many schools across the country have instituted student drug testing as a way to maintain drug-free schools and ensure that students who use drugs get the help they need. In his 2004 State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a new initiative to support communities that want to include drug screening as part of their efforts to maintain drug-free schools. Implementing a student drug testing program is optional—communities must apply for the grants, which are not tied in any way to other Federal education funding. Furthermore, testing cannot result in referral to law enforcement agencies or adversely affect the student's progress in academic programs. Instead, student drug testing programs are designed to help students make healthy choices and provide support for those who may have become addicted to illicit drugs. In further support of this important prevention tool, the President's Budget requests $15 million for student drug testing grants in 2007, an increase of $4.6 million over the 2006 enacted level.
Community Coalitions
States and local organizations are in the best position to identify the challenges they face and to take action to overcome them. Indeed, communities across the country have formed community anti-drug coalitions that coordinate prevention and intervention efforts. These coalitions bring together community leaders and professionals in health care, law enforcement, and education to provide local, grassroots solutions to the challenges drug and alcohol abuse pose to their neighborhoods. Coalitions work to develop a model for all sectors to work together to change community norms and send the same no-use messages to young people. The Administration supports the efforts of many of these coalitions by providing $79.2 million in the President's 2007 Budget through the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program. Currently, there are over 700 funded DFC coalitions, which exist in every state and form the backbone of the Nation's community prevention system. Under this program, each grantee receives up to $100,000 annually for up to five years to develop a comprehensive plan to address substance abuse problems at the local level.
