National D.A.R.E. Day, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

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 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.