 It is with great honor, ladies and gentlemen, that I introduce to you the President of the United States, who along with First Lady Nancy Reagan has led the nation in the fight against illegal drugs. Shortly after taking office in 1981, President Reagan called drug abuse one of the gravest problems facing us. In 1982, he announced a major federal strategy to deal with this growing menace, and today he's asking the American people for help again. And ladies and gentlemen, one of the greatest presidents of the United States, President Ronald Reagan. Please, be seated. Thank you, Charlie. And thank you all for being here today and for all that you're doing to help America. Drug abuse has been a major concern of Nancy's in mind, as you've just been told, dating back to a time long before we came to the White House. Our concern, of course, was not shared by everyone. During the late 1960s and into the last decade we have flippant and irresponsible attitude toward drug use permeated too much of our society. The gurus of hedonism and permissiveness were given a respectable hearing back in those days. Me, Hardake, and Misery came along later. Pundits and commentators have said a great deal about the positive changes that America's gone through in these last five and a half years. I think one of the most heartwarming, one of which I'm exceptionally proud is the change in attitude toward drugs. I'm particularly proud of the role that Nancy has played in this. As you probably know, she's made the fight against drug abuse a national crusade from one line that she used out in Oakland, California, answering a young person's question when she was speaking to them about what to do about it. And she said, just say no. And today, just say no is a nationwide organization of young people that are pledged to say, just say no. Well, just the other day in a crew cabinet meeting, Secretary Schultz told me something that we hadn't been aware of, that how often foreign ministers praise her for the work that she's doing and the example that she is setting. And all of this came from an idea she had and ladies, you can be proud of. She decided to have some meetings of the first ladies from a number of other countries and they picked up the baton there and have been doing it ever since. And I had the exciting experience at one of the recent economic summits with our major allies to mention something of this kind and tell them that she had sent greetings to their wives and so forth. And all of a sudden, a certain lady prime minister spoke up and said, well, what are we doing? Why don't we start in? And it suddenly became on the agenda of the economic summit. But because of people like her and these people that I've just mentioned, a new and dynamic consensus is emerging. The good and decent people of this country, and yes, as I say the world now, are coming together in active opposition to the evil of drug abuse. More and more people are realizing how crucial it is to deal with this insidious problem. Those who smuggle and sell drugs are as dangerous to our national security as any terrorist or foreign dictatorship. In 1981, we began our efforts to mobilize America against this danger. We operated under the assumption, and I remain convinced this is true, that a major effort to stop drugs from flowing into the country is only one element in an overall solution. As with most perplexing problems to rely totally on government, is to fall prey to an illusion. What we need is the development of private sector initiatives, community-based solutions to the drug problem, commitment from the men and women and children of this country, from businesses, labor unions, sports and public figures, and civic groups to get tough and to get involved is a prerequisite for success. Nancy recently said that, and I'll quote, we must create an atmosphere of intolerance for drug use in this country. Well, I don't think it can be said any better than that. The time has come to give notice that individual drug use is threatening the health and safety of all our citizens. We must make it clear that we are no longer willing to tolerate illegal drugs or the sellers or the users. Our object is not to punish users, but to help them and not to throw them in jail, but to free them from dependency, not to ruin their lives by putting them behind bars, but to prevent their lives from being ruined by drugs. The first step, of course, is making certain that individual drug users and everyone else understand that in a free society we're all accountable for our actions. If this problem is to be solved, drug users can no longer excuse themselves by blaming society. As individuals, they're responsible. The rest of us must be clear that while we're sympathetic, we will no longer tolerate the use of illegal drugs by anyone. The time has come for each and every one of us to make a personal and moral commitment to actively oppose the use of illegal drugs. In all forms and in all places, we must remove all traces of illegal drugs from our nation. You and your organizations, not only in the United States, but internationally, can be proud that you're leading the way in this noble endeavor. I simply don't have ample opportunity here now to mention all of your organizations and all that you've done, but I must mention a few. The Lions Clubs, of which I happen to be a lifetime member, met with me in 1982. You made your anti-drug program a priority and went to work not just in the United States, but in 155 different countries. The Kiwanis Clubs, you've been terrific with the work that you've done with Nancy and your billboard campaign. The Elks, you have one and a half million people involved in fighting drug abuse. I also want to applaud you for helping the people of Oregon fight a misguided minority that would legalize marijuana. That would be the worst possible message to send to our young people. You might be interested to know that Nancy in speaking to young people in schools and so forth, treatment centers, asks them about that and you'd be amazed the kids are ahead of us. They almost all together shout, no, don't do that. The Junior League, your gate program to educate the young people of this country is exemplary. The Girl Scouts, your new patch for drug education and prevention is a good example of what can be done. I can't tell you how appreciative we are here of your efforts. All of you and your magnificent organizations in many ways represent the best hope for America's youth. John Locke, a great intellectual whose ideas greatly affected those who laid the philosophical foundation of American freedom once wrote, a sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world. Well, our goal is to make certain that illegal drugs do not deprive any American of a happy state of sound mind and body. I want each of you and the members of your organizations to know how much Nancy and I and your fellow citizens appreciate what you're doing. We have a long way to go, but there's ample room for optimism. International cooperation is increasing. This is no longer looked at as just a problem for the Americas and you've already heard from my good friend Charlie Wick on what's going on in the international arena. Nevertheless, we must continue to prove we mean business at home and now is the time to show drug users that we mean to reach our goal of a drug-free generation in the United States. I know you have myriad demands in your time and everyone seems to have a pet project they would like your help on. Well, there's no doubt about our pet project. No doubt as to how seriously we take our commitment. We'll do everything in our power to achieve our goal and I'd like to call on you to help us out. Go back to your organizations and have your membership work toward drug-free schools. Our children deserve no less. Get your local television stations to air public service announcements. And I mean at a time when most people are watching TV not burying them in the middle of the night with the reruns of Bedtime Purbanzo. Right. By the way, I've been asked at times what it is like to sit and watch the Late Late Show and see yourself and I have one answer. It's like looking at a son you never knew you had. Talk to your local and district prosecutors about getting tough on the low lives who are selling drugs to our kids. Talk to your local religious leaders about what they can do about drug abuse. This is a moral as well as a health and safety issue. Meet with the business and labor leaders in your community. You may find that many are working on getting drugs out of the working place. You have much in common. And lastly, set up a partnership. Get others involved in this fight. Now may be the time for communities across America to launch an offensive against drugs. In Boston, for example, the Boston Herald, the electronic media, the Bank of Boston, the police and the sports teams are launching a long time effort to fight drug abuse. I can't tell you how strongly Nancy and I feel about getting you involved and reaching these goals. We need your help. I hope you'll take me up on the challenge. You should know that I'll be inviting each of your organizations back to the White House one year from now so that I can hear about the progress you've made, the programs you've established, and any results that you've achieved in your communities as well as internationally. As I said earlier, please pass on my thanks to all your members. We're doing much to make this the kind of country and the kind of world that God intended it to be. And one last thought. We've been talking about what you'll be doing next week. Well, I'll announce what I'll be doing. And now is the time for everyone to do their part. The only thing remains for me to say now is thank you. And God bless you all for what you are doing. Thank you for being here.