[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 52991-52992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21766]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 52991]]


                Proclamation 9940 of September 30, 2019

                
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Across our country, far too many families and 
                communities have felt the devastation wrought by 
                substance abuse. As we observe National Substance Abuse 
                Prevention Month, we remember all who have been lost to 
                this affliction and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring 
                the health and safety of our fellow Americans. 
                Together, we will overcome this tragic crisis gripping 
                our Nation and guarantee that future generations know 
                the blessings of a drug-free life.

                One of the most pressing challenges we are facing is 
                how to overcome the opioid crisis in our Nation. From 
                1999 to 2017, our national family lost more than 
                399,000 loved ones to opioid overdoses. I am heartened 
                to share that recent data shows a projected decrease of 
                4 percent in overdose deaths in the United States from 
                2017 to 2018, and many of our hardest-hit States and 
                counties may see even more significant declines. While 
                we have made progress in our fight, the illicit 
                opioids, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine flooding 
                our communities continue to fuel addiction and destroy 
                the lives of countless Americans.

                My Administration is unwavering in our mission to 
                reverse the negative consequences of drug trafficking 
                and abuse, save American lives, and set our Nation on a 
                path to becoming stronger, healthier, and drug-free. In 
                January, we released the National Drug Control 
                Strategy, which focused largely on prevention. The 
                Strategy details a multifaceted approach that will 
                reduce abuse by educating the public, increasing the 
                availability of treatment programs, and halting the 
                influx of these poisons into our communities. As 
                President, I will never waver from my sacred duty to 
                defend our Nation and will continue fighting to protect 
                our citizens from the scourge of addiction.

                To better enable all communities to overcome the grip 
                of addiction, we are allocating critical resources to 
                fight this epidemic on the front lines. Just last 
                month, my Administration distributed nearly $2 billion 
                in funding to State and local partners across America 
                to assist in their response to the crisis. We have 
                established grants to help schools implement more 
                effective prevention programs and invested more than 
                ever before in our 731 Drug-Free Community coalitions 
                across all 50 States, bringing together partners to 
                help prevent youth drug abuse. Additionally, my 
                Administration's Fiscal Year 2020 National Drug Control 
                Budget requests a record $34.6 billion for counter-drug 
                efforts, a $1.3 billion increase from the previous 
                year. These resources enable States, localities, and 
                tribal communities to provide innovative and important 
                services to prevent and combat substance abuse.

                This month, we renew our resolve to prevent the further 
                loss of life and prosperity caused by these problems 
                and to finally eliminate the blight of addiction from 
                America. Together, we will guarantee our resilient 
                country emerges from this crisis into a future free 
                from substance abuse.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim October 2019 as

[[Page 52992]]

                National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. Through our 
                united efforts to prevent the damaging effects of 
                substance abuse, we will ensure a happier, healthier, 
                and more prosperous future. I call on parents, 
                educators, mentors, employers, healthcare 
                professionals, law enforcement officials, faith and 
                community leaders, and all Americans to join me in the 
                fight to finally resolve this crisis.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-21766
Filed 10-2-19; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P