[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 14 (Monday, April 11, 2005)]
[Pages 568-569]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7883--National D.A.R.E. Day, 2005

 April 5, 2005

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Across America, law enforcement officers, volunteers, parents, and 
teachers are helping to send the right message to our Nation's youth 
about illegal drugs and violence through the Drug Abuse Resistance 
Education (D.A.R.E.) Program. On National D.A.R.E. Day, we express our 
gratitude for the important work of these individuals and reaffirm our 
commitment to ensuring that every child has an opportunity for a bright 
and hopeful future.
    For over two decades, D.A.R.E. programs have taught our Nation's 
young people about

[[Page 569]]

the dangers of drug use and encouraged them to lead productive, drug-
free, and violence-free lives. Police officers and all those involved in 
D.A.R.E. help save lives by opening the lines of communication between 
law enforcement and our young people to better enable them to make the 
right choices. In a culture in which bad influences and temptations are 
all too present, these soldiers in the armies of compassion are 
fostering a culture of responsibility among young people.
    My Administration will continue to stand with families and 
communities to combat the dangers of drugs and violence. In my State of 
the Union Address, I announced a new initiative called Helping America's 
Youth to help ensure a successful future for young Americans. Led by 
First Lady Laura Bush, this initiative is educating parents and 
communities on the importance of positive youth development and is 
supporting organizations, including faith-based and community groups, 
who are helping young people to overcome the risks they face. We also 
support random student drug testing as a prevention tool, and we are 
helping educate young people about the dangers of illicit drug use 
through the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign and Drug-Free 
Communities Program.
    The decisions our children make today will affect their health and 
character for the rest of their lives. By giving them the tools they 
need to make the right choices, D.A.R.E. programs help prepare our 
Nation's young people for the promising future our Nation holds for each 
of them.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 14, 2005, as 
National D.A.R.E. Day. I call upon Americans, particularly our youth, to 
help fight drug use in our communities, and I urge our citizens to show 
their appreciation for the law enforcement officials, volunteers, 
teachers, health care professionals, and all those who dedicate 
themselves to helping our children avoid drugs and violence.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of 
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
ninth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:54 a.m., April 6, 
2005]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on April 
7.