[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 3, 2003)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 52313-52314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22542]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 2003 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 52313]]

                Proclamation 7697 of August 28, 2003

                
Family Day, 2003

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Children thrive in loving families where they are 
                taught, nurtured, and comforted. By spending time with 
                our children and stressing the importance of making the 
                right choices, parents and other family members help 
                them develop into confident, successful individuals.

                Families can help secure a healthy tomorrow for their 
                children by providing guidance, staying involved, and 
                serving as role models. I am committed to supporting 
                strong families and strong marriages to help ensure 
                that every child grows up in a safe, loving family. 
                Statistics show that children from two-parent families 
                are less likely to end up in poverty, drop out of 
                school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of 
                wedlock, suffer abuse, or become a violent criminal. 
                Because stable families should be the central goal of 
                American welfare policy, I have proposed spending up to 
                $300 million a year to find the most effective programs 
                to strengthen marriage.

                Parents play a critical role in discouraging harmful 
                behavior such as experimenting with alcohol, drugs, and 
                tobacco. Research shows that teens often listen to 
                their parents when it comes to decisions about harmful 
                substances and risky behaviors. Regular family 
                activities provide opportunities for parents to 
                communicate important messages and enhance their 
                relationships with their children. Recent studies from 
                the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at 
                Columbia University found that teens from families who 
                eat dinner together were less likely to use illegal 
                drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, while teenagers who 
                rarely eat dinner with their parents were more likely 
                to engage in these unhealthy activities.

                Families and all Americans can act together to educate 
                our youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and 
                help them grow into healthy, responsible, compassionate 
                citizens. In order to ensure a brighter future for our 
                Nation, and safe, healthy, and happy lives for our 
                children, our children must learn that avoiding harmful 
                substances is an ongoing responsibility. As we work to 
                educate our next generation about making healthy 
                choices, we renew our commitment to the American 
                family.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim September 22, 2003, as 
                Family Day. I call upon the people of the United States 
                to observe this day by engaging in activities to 
                strengthen the relationships between parents and 
                children and help fight against substance abuse and 
                risky behaviors.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand three, and of the

[[Page 52314]]

                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-eighth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 03-22542
Filed 9-2-03; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P