As Part of National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, White House Drug Control Policy Director Travels to Maryland to Discuss Efforts to Address the Overdose Epidemic and[...]

President Biden declared October as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month to recognize all the young lives impacted by substance use and to recommit to improving the well-being of our nation's youth

Montgomery County, MD - This week, in recognition of National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta traveled to Maryland to join Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller at John F. Kennedy High School to meet with students, educators, and state and local leaders to raise awareness about the overdose epidemic and discuss the importance of preventing substance use. During the visit, Dr. Gupta, an alumni of John F. Kennedy High School, underscored the Biden-Harris Administration's historic actions and investments to address the nation's overdose epidemic, and the critical importance of federal, state, and local partnerships to help save even more lives.

"The Biden-Harris Administration has made supporting our nation's youth and improving their well-being a top priority," said Dr. Gupta. "As a former student of Kennedy High School, it was an honor to be back at my alma mater to meet with the students and teachers who are leading by example and ensuring that young people are nurtured in a safe, supportive, and thriving environment. I am grateful for the leadership of Governor Moore and Lieutenant Governor Miller, and will continue working in support of President Biden and Vice President Harris' Unity Agenda to provide schools, families, and communities across Maryland with the tools and resources they need to prevent youth substance use and fatal overdoses."

"Recovery from addiction is the ultimate comeback story," said Lieutenant Governor Miller. "By learning how to use naloxone, we can be part of someone's recovery journey, giving them a hope of a better tomorrow, and truly save a life."

At the school, Dr. Gupta participated in an assembly to highlight the dangers of illicit drugs like fentanyl and the life-saving effects of opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone. As part of the assembly, Dr. Gupta led a live naloxone demonstration to educate students on the importance of this life-saving tool, and reiterate President Biden's urgent call to action to increase training on, and access to, opioid overdose reversal medications as part of the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. Just this week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that over 250 organizations, businesses, and stakeholders across the country made voluntary commitments to the Challenge. After the assembly, Dr. Gupta toured the school's Wellness Center, which provides free services in English and Spanish for students and families seeking mental health and substance use care.

President Biden declared October as National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month to recommit to ensuring young people have the resources and support they need to lead healthy lives and reach their full potential. Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in strengthening local youth prevention efforts and public awareness campaigns across the country. Last month, to mark the start of the new school year, the Administration announced nearly $94 million in new funding through the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program for more than 750 local community coalitions working to prevent youth substance use in every state across the nation.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have made addressing the nation's overdose epidemic a top priority of their Administration and a key pillar of the President's Unity Agenda for the Nation. At their direction, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken more historic action and made more unprecedented investments than ever before to address this epidemic and save lives. Under their leadership, more than $325 million in federal drug control funding went to Maryland last year, and the newest CDC data shows that overdose deaths decreased by six percent across the state from April 2023 to April 2024.

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