[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8648 of April 6, 2011

National D.A.R.E. Day, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
As a Nation, we must work to raise a drug-free and healthy generation of
21st-century leaders. Substance abuse and its consequences have grave
impacts on our society--destroying lives, tearing apart families, and
introducing drug-related violence to our neighborhoods. Young Americans
especially need the help and support of caring adults to resist pressure
to use drugs or engage in other harmful activities.
We must address the use of illegal drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, as well
as prescription drug abuse, among youth by building knowledge of the
warning signs and risks associated with substance abuse. Though parents
must take the lead in teaching the value of drug-free living, friends,
mentors, teachers, and neighbors also have roles to play in helping
adolescents understand the dangers of alcohol and drug addiction. By
joining together to tackle this issue and encourage positive behavior,
communities can help young people reject the pressure to try illicit
substances or engage in other hazardous activity. I encourage students,
caregivers, and other concerned individuals to visit www.DrugAbuse.gov
for educational materials on the health effects and consequences of drug
abuse and addiction.
Law enforcement is often a critical partner in implementing community-
based drug abuse prevention strategies. The Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.) program, in addition to many other prevention
efforts across our country, serves as a resource in helping educate
young people on how to resist peer pressure and refrain from drug use
and violence.
My Administration is committed to reducing drug use and its consequences
through a balanced approach that includes prevention, treatment, and law
enforcement, and we are supporting national efforts to prevent drug use
before it starts. As we work to reduce substance abuse and the great
damage it causes in our communities, we will make our country stronger
and our people healthier and safer.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 April

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7, 2011, as National D.A.R.E. Day. I call upon all Americans to observe
this day with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of April,
in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA