We are actively working to support Colombian leadership with resources, political support and regional cooperation. We should support Colombia, not only because they are a traditional ally and an important economic partner, but because it's in our absolute self-interest. They leave the sixth grade strongly opposed to smoking, alcohol abuse and illegal drugs. Our superb DARE program certainly is a key to this healthy state of affairs. However, we have a serious problem.
Children encounter and begin using drugs in middle school years.
By the time they are high school seniors, roughly half of them have experimented with an illegal drug and one out of four are past-month users. In the last two years, we have seen evidence that the prior increase in drug, alcohol and cigarette use has finally been arrested and indeed has shown statistically significant, but minor decreases. The heart and soul of the prevention effort is what parents tell their children about drug use. Yet, your whole career has been in the military. Many of us believe that we can more effectively organize our conceptual thinking about this issue by using the metaphor of a cancer affecting American communities.