Presidential Proclamation on National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2018
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2018
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By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
During National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, we recognize the importance of ending and preventing substance abuse. We must remain vigilant in raising awareness about the harms posed by alcohol and drugs, including prescription opioids, and their high potential for addiction. We can — and we must — provide families with the information, skills, and resources to stay safe and strong. As a Nation, we renew our commitment to improving individual and community health through increased education on the risks of substance abuse. Our investment in prevention will help to further yield improved academic performance, healthier lifestyles, more successful citizens, and safer communities.
Our country is reeling from the enormity of an opioid epidemic that has resulted in huge numbers of overdose fatalities, an influx of children in foster care, and too many families forever changed by the addiction or death of a loved one. In 2017 alone, it is estimated that we lost approximately 72,000 Americans to an overdose, and approximately 49,000 of those deaths involved an opioid. Fueled by prescription pain medications, heroin, and illicit fentanyl, the severity of the current addiction crisis requires immediate action. We must go beyond simply raising awareness about the harms and risks of illicit drugs, which is one reason why, last October, my Administration declared a nationwide Public Health Emergency to continue comprehensively and proactively fighting the opioid epidemic on every front.