To the Congress of the United States:

I am pleased to transmit the 2008 National Drug Control Strategy, consistent with the provisions of Section 201 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006.

My Administration published its first National Drug Control Strategy in 2002, inspired by a great moral imperative: we must reduce illegal drug use because, over time, drugs rob men, women, and children of their dignity and of their character. Thanks to bipartisan support in the Congress; the work of Federal, State, local, and tribal officials; and the efforts of ordinary citizens, 6 years later fewer Americans know the sorrow of addiction.

We have learned much about the nature of drug use and drug markets, and have demonstrated what can be achieved with a balanced strategy that puts resources where they are needed most. Prevention programs are reaching Americans in their communities, schools, workplaces, and through the media, contributing to a 24 percent decline in youth drug use since 2001. Today, approximately 860,000 fewer young people are using drugs than in 2001. We have expanded access to treatment in public health settings, the criminal justice system, and in sectors of society where resources are limited. The Access to Recovery program alone has extended treatment services to an additional 190,000 Americans, exceeding its 3-year goal. We have seized unprecedented amounts of illegal drugs and have denied drug traffickers and terrorists the profits they need to conduct their deadly work. During the first three quarters of 2007 we saw significant disruptions in the cocaine and methamphetamine markets, with prices rising by 44 percent and 73 percent, and purities falling by 15 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

These results do not mean that our work is done. Rather, they provide a charter for future efforts. By pursuing a balanced strategy that addresses the epidemiology of drug use and the economics of drug availability, we can further reduce drug use in America.

I thank the Congress for its support and ask that it continue this noble work on behalf of the American people.

THE WHITE HOUSE