SADD Chairman Stephen Wallace Attends Event Featuring President George Bush and US Drug Czar John Walters

On December 11, 2007, SADD Chairman and CEO Stephen Wallace joined other drug education and prevention experts at a White House event during which President Bush highlighted a decline in youth drug use from 2001 to 2007, including a 24 percent decrease in the use of any illicit drug. Wallace attended the event at the invitation of U.S. Drug Czar John Walters, Director of ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy). 

The Monitoring the Future findings referenced by the President also include a decrease in underage drinking of 15 percent. He called the findings a “remarkable achievement” and noted that there are 860,000 fewer young people using illegal drugs today than there were in 2001. The findings also show that challenges remain in reducing prescription drug abuse among youth. The second largest category of abuse after marijuana is prescription drugs. Use of Oxycontin by young people increased 30 percent between 2002 and 2007.

“Today’s announcement by the President reaffirms the importance of continuing to educate young people about the dangerous, and often deadly, consequences associated with illicit drug use and underage drinking,” said Wallace. “SADD has been honored to work collaboratively with the Office of National Drug Control Policy on a number of initiatives critical to youth health and safety and supportive of meaningful family dialogue about these timely issues.”

Last week, Wallace and Deputy Drug Czar Scott Burns conducted a national television and radio satellite tour to inform parents of the dangers of drugged, drunk, and distracted driving. December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

The full text of President Bush’s speech can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071211-4.html. More information about the Monitoring the Future study is available at www.monitoringthefuture.org.