Presidential Document2023-22241
National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, 2023
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 4, 2023
Signed
September 29, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 68437-68438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22241]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 68437]]
Proclamation 10640 of September 29, 2023
National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month,
2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month,
we rededicate ourselves to building a better future for
America's children. No one should have to struggle with
substance use alone. Every young person deserves to
live a full and healthy life and have every opportunity
to reach their highest potential.
Last year, our Nation lost nearly 111,000 Americans to
fatal overdoses--1,000 of those lost to overdose were
children and adolescents less than 18 years old. No
family should have to know the pain of losing a child
to the opioid and overdose epidemic. Losing a child is
like losing a piece of your soul. We owe it to all
those who are struggling with substance use or who have
lost a loved one to overdose to finally put an end to
this crisis.
That is why beating the opioid epidemic is a key pillar
of my Unity Agenda. It is one of the most pressing
issues facing our Nation that we must all tackle
together. My Administration has invested over $169
billion in total for drug control policies and
programs, including programs to expand evidence-based
prevention programs for our youth. In schools, we are
working to hire and train more mental health
counselors, social workers, and other health
professionals supporting students. We are providing
educators and school-based medical professionals with
resources to prevent substance use and fatal overdoses.
And we are making it easier for schools to bill
Medicaid to deliver health services, including mental
health and substance use care.
Beyond the classroom, my Administration is supporting
Drug-Free Communities coalitions in all 50 States so
that local communities can acquire the tools and
resources they need to prevent youth substance use. But
prevention also means increasing awareness about the
dangers of illicit fentanyl, which fuels the vast
majority of overdoses in youth. So, my Administration
launched a social media campaign to educate youth on
the dangers of this deadly drug and the lifesaving
effects of opioid-reversal medications like Naloxone.
To support Americans of all ages who need access to
substance use disorder treatment, my Administration has
announced new actions that would improve and strengthen
coverage for mental health and substance use and ensure
that more than 150 million Americans with private
health insurance can better access substance use
treatment under their insurance plan. My Administration
proposed a rule this summer that reinforces the
fundamental goal of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act, ensuring families have the same
access to mental health and substance use benefits as
they do to physical health benefits. The rule proposes
making it easier to get in-network mental health care
and eliminating administrative barriers to access that
keep people from getting the care they need, when they
need it.
Over the past 2 years, we have seen immense progress,
but there is still work to do. That means we are
investing in what works--prevention, treatment, and
recovery support. My Fiscal Year 2024 budget called for
$3.5 billion for prevention programming for youth--an
increase of more than
[[Page 68438]]
$800 million from last year--so we can keep America's
children safe from the harms of substance use and
fentanyl poisoning.
Today's young people represent the most gifted,
talented, and tolerant generation in American history.
It is our national responsibility to protect them.
During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month,
we recommit to providing families, educators, and
communities with access to lifesaving resources.
Together, we will ensure that young people have the
tools they need to thrive. Our children deserve nothing
less.
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 2023
as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. Let
us all take action to implement practice- and evidence-
based prevention strategies and improve the health of
our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-22241
Filed 10-3-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 4, 2023.
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