    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9778 of August 31, 2018

    National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, 2018

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    During National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, we reaffirm
    our commitment to addressing the stigma of addiction and take the
    opportunity to remind all Americans that recovery is possible. We stand
    with those who are seeking treatment and provide our steadfast support
    to all who are suffering from and fighting addiction.
    Addiction to alcohol and other drugs affects millions of Americans. We
    must aggressively work to end this crisis, which endangers the safety,
    security, and well-being of all Americans. Addiction threatens
    everything that is great about our country--it shatters relationships
    between family members, replaces self-sufficiency with dependency,
    depletes our workforce of talent, and riddles communities with violence
    and disorder. We cannot stand idle and allow those we love to suffer
    from alcohol or drug addiction; we must be leaders and help guide our
    friends and neighbors to live drug-free.
    Every American has a role to play in stopping alcohol misuse and illicit
    drug use and in addressing their consequences. I am committed to taking
    action to keep drugs from pouring into our country and to help those who
    are affected by them. In March, I announced an Administration-wide
    Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand. The
    Initiative is designed to reduce the demand for drugs through education,
    awareness, and prevention of opioid overprescription; expand access to
    evidence-based treatment and recovery support services; and cut off the
    flow of illicit drugs across our borders and throughout American
    communities. Further, my Administration has worked with the Congress to
    secure more than $6 billion in new funding to help combat the drug abuse
    and opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment and recovery,
    interdiction, and law enforcement efforts.
    This month, we express our gratitude to our Nation's first responders,
    healthcare providers, and all family, friends, and advocates striving
    against alcohol and drug addiction. We celebrate the millions of
    Americans who are in recovery and who contribute every day to our
    efforts to stop drug use and addiction. Their experiences and
    persistence reinforce the value and importance of remaining hopeful and
    resilient when faced with grave challenges. Finally, let us encourage
    all Americans who struggle with addiction to realize that recovery is
    possible.
    NOW, THERFORE, 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 September 2018 as
    National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery 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 thirty-first day of
    August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of

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    the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
    forty-third.
    DONALD J. TRUMP