[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 9 (Monday, March 10, 2008)]
[Pages 310-311]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

March 1, 2008

    Good morning. Today my administration is releasing our 2008 National 
Drug Control Strategy. This report lays out the methods we are using to 
combat drug abuse in America, and it highlights the hopeful progress 
we're making in the fight against addiction.
    When I took office in 2001, our country was facing a troubling rate 
of drug abuse, particularly among young people. Throughout America, 
young men and women saw their dreams disrupted by the destructive cycle 
of addiction. So I committed our Nation to an ambitious goal. In 2002, 
we began efforts to cut drug use among young people by 25 percent over 5 
years.
    Our strategy has three key elements. First, we are working to 
disrupt the supply of drugs by strengthening law enforcement and 
partnering with other countries to keep drugs out of the United States. 
Second, we're working to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention 
and education programs. And third, we're providing treatment options for 
those who've fallen prey to addiction.
    These efforts have produced measurable results. Since 2001, the rate 
of youth drug abuse has dropped by 24 percent. Young people's use of 
marijuana is down by 25 percent. Their use of ecstasy has dropped by 
more than 50 percent. And their use of methamphetamine has declined by 
64 percent. Overall, an estimated 860,000 fewer young people in America 
are using drugs today than when we began these efforts.
    Our drug control strategy will continue all three elements of this 
successful approach. It will also target a growing problem, the abuse of 
prescription drugs by youth. Unfortunately, many young Americans do not 
understand how dangerous abusing medication can be. And in recent years, 
the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses 
has increased.
    One of the factors behind this trend is the growing availability of 
highly addictive prescription drugs online. The Internet has brought 
about tremendous benefits for those who cannot easily get to a pharmacy 
in person. However, it has also created an opportunity for unscrupulous 
doctors and pharmacists to profit from addiction.
    One victim of such a doctor was Ryan Haight. The young man from 
California was only 18 when he overdosed on painkillers that were 
illegally prescribed over the Internet. With only a few clicks of the 
mouse, Ryan was able to get a prescription from a doctor he had never 
met and have the pills sent to his front door. The doctor who wrote 
Ryan's prescription had previously served time in prison for illegally 
dispensing controlled substances.

[[Page 311]]

    We need to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. 
So I'm asking Congress to work with my administration to put an end to 
the illegal sale of highly addictive prescription drugs on the Internet. 
By working together to meet this goal, we can ensure a safer future for 
our children.
    Government action is only one part of the solution to the problem of 
drug abuse. Others in our society have an important role to play as 
well. People in the entertainment and sports industries serve as role 
models to millions of young Americans, and that comes with the 
responsibility to dispel the notion that drug abuse is glamorous and 
free of consequences. Teachers, pastors, and parents also have an 
obligation to help young people develop the character and self-respect 
to resist drugs. The Federal Government will continue to do its part to 
keep our young people safe, and I urge all Americans to do the same. Our 
children deserve nothing less.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on February 29 in the 
Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on March 1. 
The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on February 29 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The 
Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of this address.