Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison, ONDCP
September 2, 2010
 Deputy Director of Demand Reduction David Mineta joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a Portland, Maine Middle School this week as part of the Secretary's eight-state "Courage in the Classroom" bus tour. The focus of the back to school event at King Middle School was school safety. During a community roundtable, that also included Secretary Duncan, Representative Chellie Pingree (ME-1st), and Portland Mayor Nicholas Mavodones, Deputy Director Mineta discussed the importance of sound decision-making and the emerging threat of prescription drug abuse.
Deputy Director Mineta participates in the roundtable discussion at a Portland, Maine Middle School.
Deputy Director Mineta joins Education Secretary Arne Duncan on one of the stops within his "Courage in the Classroom" bus tour.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
September 1, 2010
 Across the country, students are heading back to school. It is a time of great anticipation, and often anxiety, for parents and guardians who hope their children will excel in school, get along with their peers and remain safe. One concern that parents have is drug and alcohol use among young people. Research shows that overall, youth drug use has stabilized at far lower levels than two decades ago; however, the rates of use remain at high and disturbing levels, and can severely impact both the health and academic achievement of young people.
While many parents find these issues frightening, it's important for them to remember that they are the most important role models in their children's lives. Parents' attitudes toward drugs and alcohol significantly impact the choices their children make. The old adage "Children live what they learn" has never been truer.
A survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse shows that just as parents can be positive role models, they also can have negative influences. According to the survey, 34 percent of all teens have seen one or both of their parents drunk, and those teens are more than twice as likely to get drunk in a typical month than those who have not seen their parent(s) drunk. Teens whose parents say the decision to use marijuana is NOT a big deal are almost twice as likely to use the drug than those whose parents disapprove. Young people watch what their parents do and are keenly aware of what they think. Often, children's behavior and beliefs mirror those of their parents. Thus, it's not surprising then that parents who use and condone the use of drugs and alcohol have kids who do the same.
These activities are hardly "harmless." Kids who get D's and F's are twice as likely to drink as those who get A's, and they are nearly 5 times as likely to being current marijuana users, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Fortunately, there are tools for parents who want to be positive influences on their children. For years, one of the most popular publications that the U.S. Department of Education disseminated was Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention. We intend to substantially revise this guide in the coming year and release a new version, as well as a parallel guide for educators. In addition, Parents: The Anti-Drug website was created by the federally supported National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to equip parents and other adult caregivers with the tools they need to raise drug-free children. Young people can find resources at the Above the Influence campaign website, where they can get vital information, share stories, and gain tools to resist negative peer pressure.
Parents have the power to make a difference--both good and bad. We urge you to use it for good.
Office of Public Affairs, ONDCP
September 1, 2010
Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), announced $22 million in new Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grants to 169 communities and 16 new DFC Mentoring grants across the country. The awards announced today are in addition to the $63 million in Continuation grants simultaneously released to 549 currently funded DFC coalitions and seven DFC Mentoring Continuation coalitions. These grants provide community coalitions needed support to prevent and reduce youth substance use.
View the press release, Drug Free Communities Program fact sheet and Web site for more information.
David Mineta, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy
August 30, 2010
As the recently confirmed Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, I can’t think of a more opportune time to make a difference in the lives of our children, families, and communities throughout the nation. For nearly 15 years, I have seen the impact of drugs on a community level while working with Asian American Recovery Services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As a trustee with the Jefferson Union High School District in Daly City, California for 10 years, I saw how schools can contribute to reducing drug use and its consequences among youth. Applying my experiences on a local to a national level is a rare honor for which I am great appreciative.
As we enter the back to school season, this is an ideal time to consider the health and safety threats to our students and young people posed by drug abuse. The misuse of prescription medications is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States. Because they are legal, they are easily accessible, often from a home medicine cabinet. Further, some individuals who misuse prescription medications, particularly teens, believe they are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional and sold behind the counter.
Parents have a huge role to play in reducing prescription drug abuse. Some important things that immediately come to mind are:
- Follow Disposal Guidelines: By following a few simple guidelines, you can dramatically reduce the risk of unintentional harm (see how to dispose of unused medicines)
- Utilize community prescription drug "take-back" programs: Call your city or county government's household trash and recycling service or your local police or sheriff's department to see if a take-back program is available in your community
Finally, talk to your kids! As a parent, I can vouch for the importance of teaching our children about the proper use versus abuse of prescription drugs. For tips on having conversations with kids, read Time to Talk for tools to talk to preschoolers and grade-schoolers, Teen Culture for tips with teens, and view sample conversation starters. Parents are the most important influence in the lives of children. I look forward to working with you and learning from you (share your stories link) about the amazing and creative ways in which you are making a positive difference in your families and communities and helping children return to school this year drug-free.
Travis Tygart, Chief Executive Officer and Erin Hannan, Communication and Outreach Director
United States Anti-Doping Agency
August 25, 2010
Adolescence is a time of personal growth, a time to sample independence, and for many a time to begin building the character learned as a young child. This is not without its challenges.
In today's society, young people face pressure of all kinds, like never before. An example is young student athletes. In addition to the pressure of competing well for their team and winning possible scholarships, parents and coaches can also place great stress on their young athletes. At the same time, messages from a variety of societal sources can contribute to feelings of anxiety and inadequacy for young people, creating the perception of a world that expects them to be strong, fast, muscular, lean, and generally meet high aesthetic and performance expectations. And our public role models, for good or bad, contribute to influencing young people's actions and decisions.
Unfortunately, this pressure may contribute to resorting to performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, stimulants, prohormones, diuretics, and other dangerous substances. In addition to being unhealthy and hazardous, this behavior erodes the values of sport and ultimately the ethics of our youth.
The effort to preserve clean sport and protect our young people's health and well-being is not an easy task, but the implications of our failures or successes are monumental. While at its core, sport is rooted in fun, entertainment, and achievement, sport also has a fundamental and far-reaching impact on the value of our society. For that reason everyone involved in youth sport, whether as a competitor, coach, parent, or fan, has an obligation to support the effort to ensure that our children learn the lessons that will help them grow into the strong, ethical, conscientious members of our society that we all hope they will become.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is committed to preserving the integrity of competition, inspiring a commitment to the core principles of true sport, and protecting the rights of athletes to compete healthy and drug-free. Through education initiatives and valuable resources, which can be found at www.USADA.org/Outreach, USADA aims to empower Americans with knowledge about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs, the benefits of living healthy lifestyles through fitness, the basics of balanced nutrition, and the value of true sport.
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