Bill Clinton: “Good morning. We have worked hard to help parents pass on their values to their children and to protect them from bad…”

“Good morning. We have worked hard to help parents pass on their values to their children and to protect them from bad influences. Today I want to talk about a powerful new tool in our arsenal to help parents and to protect our children from the dangers of drugs. Of all the investments we can make in our children's future, none is more important than our fight against the greatest threat to their safety: illegal drugs. Under the leadership of our national drug czar, General Barry McCaffrey, we've fought to keep drugs away from our borders, off our streets, and out of our schools with a tough and smart antidrug strategy. Working together with State and local law enforcement, we've made real progress. But unless we teach our children about the dangers of drugs, our efforts will be in vain. Make no mistake; without our guidance, children are more likely to use drugs. Although overall drug use has declined dramatically, drug use by our young people has doubled. Among eighth graders, typically 13 and 14 years old, drug use has nearly tripled. We do not understand all the reasons for these unsettling statistics, but we do know this: While illegal drug use by young people has risen, the number of antidrug public service ads has fallen by more than a third. In the meantime, movies, music videos, and magazines have filled the gap--and our children's minds--too often with warped images of a dream world where drugs are cool.…”