[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

                                 ______


                           HON. JOHN L. MICA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 1996

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that would 
require television broadcast stations to dedicate at least 5 percent of 
their advertising time to public service announcements on drug and 
substance abuse.
  Drug abuse and illegal narcotics trafficking are skyrocketing. 
Cocaine, heroin, marijuana and designer drug use have dramatically 
increased in the last 3 years particularly among our young people. Many 
education and expensive drug treatment programs have failed.
  My colleagues, it is critical that we fight illegal narcotics on four 
fronts: interdiction; enforcement; education; and treatment. It is 
critical that we reduce demand and find better, more effective means of 
increasing drug education.
  During the past few years one of the key participants in the drug 
education war, television, has shirked its responsibility. Television 
broadcasting in the United States, a publicly granted franchise, has 
backslided in its public responsibility and public obligation. Since 
1991, support for antidrug messages in the media has decreased from one 
message per day to almost zero.
  Mr. Speaker, nothing in our society influences children and adults 
more than television. Television in many instances has a greater 
influence than home, church and school. Television has a public service 
responsibility to assist America in a national crisis--and we have a 
national crisis with drug and substance abuse.
  We all know how television changes perceptions and attitudes in our 
society. Devoting a small fraction of airtime and public airwaves to 
fighting the drug war and ridding our children and Nation of this 
scourge is long overdue.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in reversing the 
disturbing trend toward drug use. Help our children and all Americans 
by cosponsoring this important bill.

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