The effects are clearly demonstrated by the tragic reports in daily news accounts of innocent people killed by drunk drivers, death by overdose, drug-related murders, drug smuggling, and other public outrages. Less obvious, but more pervasive, are the individual tragedies which destroy a person or family and which may cause loss of a job, interruption of schooling, and a reduction in our Nation's productivity. Federal, State, and local governments have established programs to reduce the supply of illegal drugs. Similarly, government has encouraged the establishment of facilities for providing medical treatment for those suffering from this problem and sponsored extensive research on the effects of drug use. However, government cannot hope to solve the problems of drug abuse without the help of every American.
Drug abuse is a national problem and a target of a nationwide program.
All across America, our citizens, community organizations, and the private sector have recognized that they can make a difference in the battle against this serious concern. Expanded drug abuse awareness efforts, the banding together of concerned parents, and the involvement of many community groups are lowering the rate of drug abuse which prevailed during the Seventies. There has been increasing attention focused on the potential of mass communications to discourage drug abuse. Numerous public education efforts are epitomized in the excellent Chemical People Project which will be presented on public broadcasting stations across the United States on November 2 and 9, 1983. We must continue to encourage and support efforts to educate our citizens to the health and societal consequences of drug abuse.