Presidential Document2021-21906
National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, 2021
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 5, 2021
Signed
September 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55461-55462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21906]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 5, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 55461]]
Proclamation 10273 of September 30, 2021
National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month,
2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Far too many families across our Nation have been
impacted by addiction and the overdose epidemic. In
2020, more than 93,000 people died from an overdose--
93,000 families forced to bury a piece of their souls.
The impact of this crisis echoes in communities across
the Nation, in the empty chairs in classrooms and
around kitchen tables. During National Youth Substance
Use Prevention Month, we reaffirm our commitment to
helping America's youth overcome this epidemic and lead
healthy, fulfilling lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the need to
provide more resources to address substance use
disorder. Substance use disorder touches families in
every community, and it is essential that we invest in
a broad range of services, including prevention, harm
reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for
mental health and substance use.
My Administration has been working to expand evidence-
based prevention programs along with access to care and
recovery support services. We are committed to
preventing substance use among our Nation's youth--
including alcohol, tobacco products, illicit drugs, and
misused prescription medications--by bringing
communities together to find local solutions. Through
the White House's Office of National Drug Control
Policy, the Drug-Free Communities Support Program helps
equip community coalitions to reduce youth substance
use at the local level. We must continue to encourage
parents, caregivers, educators, and other members of
the community to play an active role in promoting
evidence-based prevention efforts that encourage
healthy lifestyles, promote alternatives to substance
use, and educate young people about the harms
associated with substance use. We know that delaying
substance use until after adolescence, when the brain
has fully developed, decreases the likelihood of an
individual developing a substance use disorder. We also
know that smart investments in effective school-based
prevention programs save lives and save our economy
money in the form of averted medical costs and improved
productivity.
My Administration is also committed to advancing racial
equity in our approach to drug policy--implementing
fairer, more effective, and more culturally resonant
policies to prevent, address, and treat substance use
disorder. That is why we are supporting the development
of tailored tools that strengthen prevention efforts in
diverse communities. These include racial equity
trainings, resources on inclusion and diversity, and
racial equity decision-making frameworks. Our youth-
focused efforts must also account for the fact that
poverty, homelessness, trauma, and other adverse
childhood experiences affect drug use and the overall
health of our Nation's youth--especially with respect
to people of color, who are disproportionately impacted
by these factors. By advancing equity in every part of
our society--including our education, health care,
criminal justice, and housing systems--we can build a
future where all Americans can lead healthy and
fulfilling lives.
This October, we honor all those who champion evidence-
based youth substance use prevention and recommit
ourselves to ensuring that all Americans have the
skills, knowledge, and resources to live full and
healthy lives.
[[Page 55462]]
Substance use disorder is a disease, and I will do
everything within my power to expand access to
evidence-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction,
and recovery support services as well as reduce the
supply of illicit drugs to keep more Americans safe.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 October 2021
as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. I
call on communities, parents, caregivers, educators,
employers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement
officials, faith and community leaders, and all
Americans to take action to promote evidence-based
prevention and improve the health of our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-21906
Filed 10-4-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 5, 2021.
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