[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 49 (Monday, December 15, 2008)]
[Pages 1511-1512]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Discussion on Drug Use Reduction

December 11, 2008

    I've just had an extraordinary discussion with a group of our fellow 
citizens; some are pastors, some are ex-cons, some are baseball players, 
some are docs, some are community activists, all who have come together 
to talk about a comprehensive strategy to deal with drug use in America.
    And our strategy is threefold: one, reduce demand, interdict supply, 
and then help people who have become addicts. And we're making progress. 
No question, there's still work to do in America, but we are making 
progress. And one way to note the progress is this statistic: Since 
2001, teenage drug use has declined by 25 percent; that means 900,000 
fewer teens on drugs.
    The strategy can be measured. The implementation requires 
understanding that grassroots activists--for example, like the faith 
community--can play an integral work in working alongside government to 
achieve our objectives. The Admiral here has--Admiral Allen, Commandant 
of the Coast Guard, reported about our interdiction efforts--that we've 
been making great progress at interdicting, for example, cocaine being 
trafficked primarily out of South America and Central America into our 
country.
    And finally I am pleased that the Access to Recovery program and 
programs like that are vibrant and active, which basically says to an 
addict: If you so choose, you can redeem your health, redeem your money 
at a place of love in the faith community.
    Lives are changing. People's lives are being saved. I say government 
is justice, government is law and--but government must not fear places 
of love. And so this has been a positive report and a great meeting, and 
I want to thank you all for coming. More importantly, I want to thank 
you for being citizens, and not spectators--people who have decided to 
do something about your personal lives, as well as the lives of those in 
your communities. It is the collective effort of thousands of social 
entrepreneurs that help make America a hopeful place.
    There will be more work done after I'm out of here, but we have laid 
the foundation

[[Page 1512]]

for a successful effort against drug use, drug supply, and helping those 
who have been addicted.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:09 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.