D.C. Thank you, Secretary Shalala, Secretary Riley, and General McCaffrey for coming. Today, Secretary Shalala is issuing her Department's annual survey of the use of marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol by teenagers. The reason all of us are joining her is that the President asked us to work together, as a team, to combat teenage substance abuse. I believe it's particularly appropriate that Secretary Shalala is at the Transportation Department, releasing the study, because the greatest tragedies that occur from taking drugs and alcohol, occur when teenagers then get in a car, drive drunk, and crash. The message every American teenager must understand is that abusing alcohol and drugs is not only bad for you, but if you then go drive, you risk your death and the death of your friends or family members with you.
More teenagers die from car crashes than die from diseases, or homicides, or suicides.
The President has made a national commitment to prevent teenagers impaired by drugs or alcohol from driving. This year, the President signed a law requiring all states to pass zero tolerance laws by October 1998, or lose a portion of their federal highway funds. That's why the Transportation Department launched the Safe Communities program, now in 166 communities. We assist people at the local level to work together to solve their transportation problems, and to teach young Americans responsible behavior. And the President asked General McCaffrey and me to recommend measures to reduce the incidence of drug use by teens and we are evaluating laws which would deny teenagers a driver's license if they fail a drug test.