Memorandum on Federal
Initiatives for a Drug-Free
Memorandum
for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Subject:
Federal Initiatives for a Drug-Free
In
furtherance of our policy against drug abuse, I have approved several
initiatives that require the support and commitment of all department and
agency heads and their senior staff members.
One
of our goals is a drug-free workplace in the Federal government, in State and
local governments, and in private companies, including those that contract with
the government. To help achieve this goal, you should:
Develop
a plan in accordance with Section 2 of Executive Order 12564, which I signed on
Make
each employee aware of the health, economic, and social costs of illegal drug
use, assist employees in recognizing and combatting
illegal drug use in the workplace and in homes and communities, and ensure that
each employee is aware that unauthorized possession of a controlled substance
is a crime.
Encourage
your counterpart leaders in State and local governments to free their
workplaces from illegal drug use.
To
assist you, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the
Office of Personnel Management will provide information about the effects of
drug abuse, guidelines for drug testing and treatment, training of supervisory
personnel, and technical assistance in support of Employee Assistance Programs.
The Attorney General will be prepared to render legal assistance.
The
Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish a ``Drug-free Workplace
Helpline'' to answer questions government and private sector organizations may
have about drug abuse.
The
Secretary of Labor will work with labor leaders to promote our goal of
drug-free workplaces, develop and disseminate a ``what works'' booklet on
Workplaces Without Drugs, and make available a team of
experts to assist management and unions in establishing drug prevention
programs.
Another
of our goals is drug-free schools. To achieve this goal:
The
Secretary of Education, as national advocate for drug-free schools, will work
with educators, parents, students, and others to ensure that everything
possible is done to protect our children from the dangers of illegal drugs. The
Secretary of Education will disseminate drug-related educational materials such
as the booklet Schools Without Drugs.
The
Attorney General and the Secretary of Education will work together to ensure
that local law enforcement officials and school authorities cooperate in
discouraging illegal drug use and in prosecuting the so-called ``school yard
laws'' against distribution or manufacture of drugs around school property.
The
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education will work together to
develop a model drug prevention program in Department of Defense schools.
Since
rehabilitation of illegal drug users is a cornerstone of our policy, another
goal is expansion of drug treatment and research.
To
achieve this:
The
Secretary of Health and Human Services will take the lead in encouraging States
and communities to develop programs to treat specific drug-related health
problems. This will be achieved by seeking an emergency expansion of services
in facilities that treat drug-related health problems, and by establishing community
systems development projects.
The
Secretary of Health and Human Services will also expand research in
health-related areas such as drug testing, and bolster medical and health
prevention programs by establishing a Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
The
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management will provide appropriate information and technical
assistance to department and agency heads regarding rehabilitative services for
Federal employees.
We
also have as a goal to increase public awareness and prevention of drug abuse.
To achieve this goal, I hope you will:
Encourage
all citizens and private sector organizations to develop and participate in
drug abuse awareness and prevention campaigns, such as ``Just Say No.''
Encourage
corporations, service organizations, and the media with which you interact to
stimulate development of innovative community-based prevention programs and to
develop prevention programs within their organizations.
Provide
leadership to ensure that Americans have access to accurate and effective
information about illegal drugs and strategies for getting drugs out of their
homes, schools, workplaces, communities, and the Nation. The proposed Center
for Substance Abuse Prevention, in the Department of Health and Human Services,
will provide a toll-free number for technical assistance and referrals and will
manage a speakers' bureau on illegal drug use prevention.
The
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will take the lead in an effort to
reduce the level of illegal drug activity in public housing authorities, and
will work with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of
Labor, and the Attorney General to achieve drug-free housing developments.
The
Secretary of Transportation will take the lead in an effort to ensure safe
transportation of people and goods, and will work with the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and the Attorney General to
promote regulatory changes, drug-testing, prevention, and education leading to
a drug-free transportation system.
I
have enclosed a personal message for Executive Branch employees about our new
drug abuse initiatives. Please ensure that each employee in your organization
receives a copy, and feel free to communicate an additional personal message of
your own.
You
should institute actions on the above initiatives immediately, using existing
resources or reallocating resources where necessary. I will ask for periodic
progress reports through the Domestic Policy Council to ensure that we are
moving toward our goal of a drug-free
Ronald
Reagan
Note:
The memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 6.