Bob Barr: “We have, in recent years, as we know and, Mr. Speaker, as you know, become a Nation deeply concerned with the messages…”

“We have, in recent years, as we know and, Mr. Speaker, as you know, become a Nation deeply concerned with the messages that we, as adults, send to our children. We yearn for the athlete whose poster hangs above our child's bed to be as good a citizen as to be a ball player. We want our teachers to practice what they preach, and we want our government to provide an environment by which our children can truly learn safely. Unfortunately, our government, at the direction of the President, is failing miserably. Drug use among America's children is on the rise. This was confirmed recently in a study, Substance Abuse and the American Adolescent, released by the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. What is more, surveys have found that 23.5 percent of 12-year-olds personally now know a drug user, whereas, 2 years ago, in 1996, 10.6 percent of 12-year-olds personally knew a drug dealer. That is an increase of 122 percent.”