In the keynote address, William
J. Bennett, the country’s first “Drug Czar,” urged presidential
candidates Barack Obama and John McCain to address the issue of
increased abuse of illegal substances and prescription drugs.
Speaking at the opening session
of the National Safety Council’s 96th annual Congress & Expo,
Bennett decried the increase in use and cultural acceptance of
illegal drugs in recent years, and made an “exhortation to the
candidates that this be an issue they address before too long.”
Both have experience with
substance abuse, and the former Secretary of Education said the two
candidates are wasting what he called a “teachable moment” by not
discussing with the nation the perils of drug use.
He cited Obama’s admitted use of
marijuana, alcohol and cocaine as a young man, and said that
McCain’s wife Cindy’s well-documented prescription drug abuse put
them in position to talk about the issue from experience.
“Today, just when we can use it,
discussion from them is not being conducted,” he said. I urge the
presidential candidates to get with the message. They’re the most
listened to human beings on the planet. Adding that Obama has the
best platform in the world to talk about it.
“People are paying attention to
what they have to say,” said Bennett, but Obama won’t talk about
“how he dealt with it, how he got help, or the wrongness in it. He
left the message that it was not that uncommon and the experience is
not that bad.”
He told the crowd of
approximately 4,000 safety professionals that “Safety is the first
object of government,” and not many years ago we got drug use in
this country down to record levels, but we’re losing those gains
now. Attention used to be paid in the late 80s and early 90s, but
not so much anymore.
He chastised the mainstream media
for ignoring a drug bust at San Diego State University in May that
resulted in the arrest of 96 people, 75 of them students, the result
of an investigation of a young girl’s overdose at the campus a year
earlier.
“This was at a flagship
university, not Marion Barry’s Washington, D.C. circa 1975. Fifteen
years ago it would have made major headlines.”
He also had harsh words for the
college presidents who recently came out in favor of lowering the
drinking age on campus. He called it “a terrible idea,” and came
down hard on Hollywood, citing one of the most popular TV shows on
cable TV, “Weeds,” which chronicles the life and times of a
marijuana dealing family.
“It’s a picture of a pretty sad
life, even though it’s portrayed as comedy,” he said, asking, “Where
are we now culturally? What we used to denounce, too many now defend
or support.”
There’s more and more marijuana
being used, and it’s not your mother’s pot, said Bennett. “It’s more
potent than at any time since scientific analysis began in the 70s.
It’s more than tripled in potency since 1983. It’s stronger, more
powerful and more addictive, and an issue for all American people.
Bennett also expressed his
concern over the prescription drug problem that has cropped up.
“Abuse of prescription pain killers is second only to marijuana use,
and it’s not getting the attention it deserves in an election year,”
said Bennett.
“It’s an issue for anyone who
wants to be president of a country that makes up four percent of the
world’s population, but consumes 65 percent of its illicit drugs.”
Safety Ambassador Program
Launched
Also at the Congress, NSC debuted
its “Safety Ambassador” program — a grassroots effort to involve
individuals as safety educators in their own communities.
The program provides volunteers
with the tools they need to help friends, neighbors, co-workers and
other associates learn more about the leading causes of accidental
death and injury and how to keep them safe.
It’s an outreach program focusing
on motor vehicle safety, falls prevention, unintentional drug
overdose and overexertion. “Whether directly, or indirectly, each of
us has been touched by these issues. Yet, the injuries and deaths
caused in these areas are preventable. Change can happen, but the
Council can’t do it alone,” said Froetscher.
NSC members are being urged to
talk to local businesses, friends and family to help them understand
how they can stay safe behind the wheel, in their community, and
while at home. NSC is making available the materials members will
need to be successful.
The Safety Ambassador kit enables
anyone to advocate for safety. The program empowers members to help
the public. A few ways you can use this program include:
• Approach your local schools to
educate teens about distractions behind the wheel;
• Increase awareness of the
dangers of overexertion and how to avoid it;
• Offer tips to minimize falls
within your workplace or home;
• Help others develop best
practices and enforce good driving behaviors;
• Help people prevent
unintentional drug overdose by understanding their risks. If you
don’t feel comfortable presenting the enclosed materials, print out
the posters and tip sheets and ask your local businesses to display
them.
The purpose of the program is
strictly to increase awareness in identified areas where the
greatest number of people are being injured or killed.
The Safety Ambassador kit
contains everything you need – posters, tip sheets, and
presentations. You can download the kit or request the CD when you
register to participate at www.nsc.org.
FSM
