The Public Record
Bill Jefferson Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from January 20, 1993, to January 20, 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously held the position of Governor of Arkansas from 1983 to 1992. During his presidency, Clinton focused on several key policies, including welfare reform, economic growth, and healthcare reform. His administration is noted for achieving a budget surplus and for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
I want to applaud the Senate today for its strong vote of support for Federico Pena to serve as our Nation's new Energy Secretary. As Transportation Secretary, Federico Pena built consensus among communities, business, and Government and…
It's great, and I think--first of all, I agree with the after-school arguments, the mentoring arguments, the treatment, all the things you have said. But I think it's a good thing that we ended with Ally, because we know that children that…
Give evidence. Participant. More education programs for kids and younger kids about the harmful effects. Participant. Well, I think that the cartoons they really don't believe because it's just--if they do it then they think it's cool…
Well, I'm going to give you back the 2 minutes. I'm going to give you 2 minutes to tell me anything specific you think I could do to help more kids stay off drugs. Mr. Jennings. Okay. You're going to have to make it very quick.
So what is the right message? Go ahead. [Several participants explained how television programming sent mixed messages on drug use and gave examples from daytime programming and situation comedies where drug use was treated lightly. Other…
----that if you overdo it, people won't believe it? What's the answer to that? Matt? Participant. A lot of kids are--they don't believe it. You know, it's just not the right message.
It's better than I did in the election. That's great. [Laughter] [Following a commercial break, Mr. Jennings asked what role the media played in educating children about the dangers of drugs. A participant said that the media did have an…
Can you talk to other people and get through to them in a way that someone else couldn't because of what you've been through? [The participant replied that he hoped to help at least one person learn from his experiences with drugs. Another…
Or a mentor of some other kind. [A participant stated that teens who didn't use drugs could be good role models for their peers.] Mr. Jennings. Mr. President, we were all talking with Chelsea before you got here. She recently turned 17…
And tell me--give me an example. Participant. Well, I don't have any examples because I don't do drugs. But a lot of my friends do, and they do a lot of pot. And they have--that's the most--the worst thing they've done. But they don't have…
Had anybody tried to talk you out of using drugs in the first place, before you did? At home, at school? [The participant said that his parents were drug abusers and he first accepted it but later viewed it as part of a bad environment…
Well, Brandon can prove that's not true. Participant. Exactly. [A participant from Los Angeles, CA, discussed the drug problem there, saying that he was a former gang member and drug user, and that the counseling he received after being…
You said--this is very important because the biggest increase in drug use among children under 18 by far has been marijuana. You believe it's because they simply don't believe it's dangerous or they don't believe it will hurt them? [The…
What about these guys? Michael, what were you going to say? [A participant noted that marijuana had become so accepted that the users had more arguments for drug use than he had arguments against them.]
Do people believe it's dangerous? You had your hand up back there. [A participant said that a friend's obligation would be greater when there was the possibility of harm to other people, rather than only to the drug user.]
I think that's a good idea. [Following a commercial break, a participant commented that Brandon should not have taken pills, even from a friend, if he didn't know what they were.]
Well, I don't know what we could do about that because she probably took it out of the neighbor's mailbox. And so, once that happens, I don't know what we could have done. There may be something that can be done to label them more clearly…
Do you believe that in this case that if people had understood how dangerous they were, that they wouldn't have done it? Participant. I don't really know, but I think that if they had found out about what would have happened and how they…
Was there one person who had them all who then gave them to the rest of you? Participant. Yes, there was one girl that had a bottle of them. Mr. Jennings. Under some pressure, do you think, because the other kids were taking them…
Well, let me ask you this. Did you know they were muscle relaxants when you took them? Participant. Nobody really knew exactly what they were, but not like anything big.
Or sold. Mr. Jennings. ----or sold around your school? We've got maybe 30 kids with us here, for those of you at home, and we've had more than a dozen kids go up. There are, by the way, so many drugs for kids to abuse, it's almost mind…
I'll see what I can do about that. Mr. Jennings. Talk to the President after the--he's very good, I've seen him do this before.
----get rid of them, to arrest them? Have they ever been arrested? Participant. I don't really know. I just see them every day.
Good morning, Peter. Mr. Jennings. Thank you for being with us, sir. The President has already had a chance to talk to the kids here just a little bit. Tell the folks at home why you think it's important for them and you to be here…
I certified Mexico because in the last year, we have achieved an unprecedented level of cooperation on counternarcotics.
Politicians like Bill Clinton
