September 29, 1999
Mayor Conducts School Assembly on Drug Prevention
Mayor Continues to Urge Youth to Avoid Illegal Drug Use
(Washington, D.C.) Mayor Anthony A. Williams met with 700 youth in a school assembly at Jefferson Junior High School in Southwest. The Mayor engaged the students in a discussion about drug prevention and on making the right choice about drug use, including alcohol, tobacco and controlled dangerous substances. As a basis for the discussion, students provided the Mayor with essays on the topic of drug prevention, in which the Mayor shared excerpts during the assembly.
"This event gives our children an opportunity to tell me directly about the pressures to do drugs that they are faced with on a daily basis. What better way to provide the support kids need, then to hear it directly from our youth," said the Mayor, "I've learned that my best advisers on how to stop the cycle of drugs that are tearing apart our neighborhoods-are kids."
This assembly is part of the Mayor's recent announcement of a commitment to the community in fighting drugs and drug-related crimes. As part of the Mayor's coordinated approach, he's set a goal to educate and enable District youth to avoid the use of illegal drugs. The Mayor plans to establish education and mentoring programs in 40 public schools through collaboration between the Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration and the D.C. Public School's Prevention Education Office. This is one of three goals that also include reducing drug-related crime and violence in the District, and reducing the public health and social costs of drug use.
"Children at this age have the power to make decisions about their lives. They can decide whether they want to do drugs or to 'just say no'," said the Mayor. My goal is to not only encourage them to 'just say no' to drug use, but to say yes to achieving their full potential."
The Mayor was joined by popular radio personality, Russ Parr of WKYS-FM's morning show and Robert Newman, Director of Parks and Recreation.
