[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 6, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 62931-62932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22196]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 194 / Tuesday, October 6, 2020 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 62931]]


                Proclamation 10090 of September 30, 2020

                
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2020

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription 
                medications fuels havoc, heartache, and hopelessness in 
                the lives of far too many Americans, as well as their 
                friends and family members. During National Substance 
                Abuse Prevention Month, we renew our unyielding 
                commitment to breaking the grip of alcohol and drug 
                addiction. Through our continued national effort, we 
                will save lives and work to ensure a stronger and 
                healthier country.

                It has been my priority and promise to win the critical 
                battle against opioid misuse, which has ravaged our 
                Nation for too long. In total, close to 400,000 
                Americans have lost their lives to opioid overdoses 
                since the turn of the century. While one life lost to 
                drug addiction is too many, nearly half a million is 
                unconscionable. In response, I declared a Public Health 
                Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach 
                dedicated to ending this tragedy. To bolster this 
                effort, I signed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention 
                that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) 
                for Patients and Communities Act, a law that reduces 
                access to opioids while expanding access to prevention, 
                treatment, and recovery services. The SUPPORT Act is 
                the single largest commitment to combatting the drug 
                crisis in our Nation's history, and it is making a 
                difference.

                In addition to the opioids public health emergency, my 
                Administration is also advancing several initiatives to 
                address substance abuse more broadly. We have 
                strengthened the Drug-Free Communities program, which 
                provides grants that mobilize communities to prevent 
                youth substance use at the local level. We created the 
                Rural Community Toolbox, which is an online resource 
                that connects small town leaders with funding, data, 
                and information to combat drug addiction in rural 
                America. And the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 
                (HIDTA) Program is collaborating with community-based 
                organizations and coalitions to fund evidence-based and 
                evidence-informed prevention activities within the 
                HIDTA communities. These initiatives, along with 
                actions taken by State, local, tribal, and territorial 
                stakeholders, including faith-based organizations, are 
                helping families and communities save lives by engaging 
                young people most at risk of developing a substance use 
                disorder.

                As our Nation continues its unprecedented fight against 
                the coronavirus pandemic, we are acutely aware of how 
                isolation affects mental health and can encourage the 
                misuse of legal and illegal substances. Through 
                collaborative, community-based efforts, we are 
                strengthening the support systems that deter our 
                Nation's young people from drug use and improve overall 
                mental health and wellness.

                This month, we pause to remember the lives lost to 
                addiction, and recommit to protecting all Americans--
                particularly our Nation's young people--from the 
                devastating effects drugs can have on them and their 
                loved ones. We also commend the healthcare 
                professionals, law enforcement officials, educators, 
                family members, and community volunteers who raise 
                awareness about the risks and dangers of alcohol and 
                drug use, treat the afflicted, and support prevention. 
                Together, we will build healthy families, safe 
                neighborhoods, and thriving communities by preventing 
                substance misuse.

[[Page 62932]]

                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 2020 as 
                National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon 
                the people of the United States to observe this month 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

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

[FR Doc. 2020-22196
Filed 10-5-20; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P