    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [December 20, 1997]
    [Page 1813]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 20, 1997

        Good morning. In this season of hope and special time for our loved
    ones, I'd like to share some thoughts on what all Americans can do to
    strengthen our families. Specifically, I want to talk about our efforts
    to protect our children from drugs, the most dangerous enemy of
    childhood. Nothing can cause more pain and heartbreak in a family or
    cause more harm to a child's future than the use and abuse of drugs.
        We should be very proud that drug use among all Americans has fallen
    by one-half since 1979. But in recent years teenage drug use was rising.
    Today I have some good news.
        A second major survey on drug use this year has confirmed that for
    the first time since 1991, our teenagers are beginning to turn away from
    drugs. In a report I'm a releasing today, the Department of Health and
    Human Services has found that the increasing rates of teen drug use are
    leveling off and, in some cases, decreasing. Today's eighth graders are
    less likely to have used drugs over the past year, and just as
    important, they are more likely to disapprove of drug use. This change
    in attitudes represents a glimmer of hope in our efforts to protect our
    children from drugs. But our work is far from over.
        The most effective strategy we have against drugs begins at home.
    It's a fight that can be won at kitchen tables all across America. This
    holiday season, as we spend some hard-earned time with our families, I
    urge all parents to sit down with their children, as Hillary and I have
    done, and share a simple and important lesson: Drugs are dangerous;
    drugs are wrong; and drugs can kill you.
        But Government can also do its part to help parents keep their
    children safe from drugs. Over the past 5 years, our administration has
    put in place a comprehensive national plan to fight drugs at all levels.
    We're putting 100,000 community police on our streets. We've cracked
    down on meth dealers and seized their labs. We've expanded mandatory
    drug testing for parolees and demanded that drug offenders get the
    treatment they need to live productive lives. We've worked with
    neighboring countries to prevent drugs from crossing our borders in the
    first place and built new community coalitions against drugs.
        Most importantly, we fought to protect the safe and drug-free
    schools program that helps to keep drugs out of classrooms and away from
    children. The historic Balanced Budget Act I signed this summer also
    includes $195 million for a national youth antidrug media campaign. Our
    goal is to make sure that every time a child turns on the TV, listens to
    the radio, or surfs the Internet, he or she will get the powerful
    message that drugs can destroy your life.
        But we can't ever forget that the best drug enforcement prevention
    effort still is parents teaching their children the difference between
    right and wrong when it comes to drugs. So once again, I call upon our
    parents to build on the progress we're making by talking frankly to your
    children about the destructive consequences of trying and using drugs.
        As we celebrate the blessings of the year just past, let's all work
    to ensure that every child can look forward to a safe, healthy, and
    hopeful new year.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 6 p.m. on December 19 in the Roosevelt
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 20.