[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 120 (Thursday, September 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H10046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            TEENAGE DRUG USE

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, here is a headline from the Greenville 
News out of South Carolina, 2 weeks ago: ``Twice as Many Teens Using 
Drugs as in 1992.''
  Mr. Speaker, why do we have this headline? Why is it teen drug use 
has exploded? There are probably many plausible theories, but I think 
the most important is the attitudes of those in positions of authority. 
In the 1980's, the Reagan administration told young people to just say 
no.
  But in 1993, when Bill Clinton first took over as President, he 
slashed the budget of the Office of National Drug Policy. Then, his 
administration hired about 40 staffers who had to be placed in a 
special drug program because they admitted to using hard drugs such as 
crack cocaine only a few months before going to the White House.
  Mr. Speaker, when we have an administration that takes a casual view 
of adult drug use, its no wonder we have headlines like this.

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