News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 1996
DEA
Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America
On September 18,
1996, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Boys & Girls
Clubs of America (BGCA) will announce a partnership aimed at benefiting
the nations youth, especially in the area of drug abuse prevention.
The partnership will be announced at 8:30 a.m. in the Rayburn Building,
Room B-339, at the Boys & Girls Clubs Annual Congressional Breakfast
honoring the BGCAs Youth of the Year.
The initial phase
of this partnership includes the joint sponsorship and distribution of
an adolescent antidrug publication, Get It Straight, which will
be introduced at the breakfast. Copies of this publication will be provided
to every Boys & Girls Club in the country. In addition, DEA will make
the publication available through its network of Demand Reduction Coordinators
in the United States.
Get It Straight
was developed to address a lack of published drug prevention material
suitable for use by young teenagers. The publication was prompted by a
request from a Department of Justice employee whose son needed drug prevention
information for a school project. DEA held focus groups with adolescents
to check their attitudes on drug abuse for the booklet.
Boys & Girls
Clubs of America comprises a national network of some 1,800 neighborhood-based
facilities annually serving more than 2.4 million young people, primarily
from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for
Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development
programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a
full-time, trained professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club Programs
emphasize educational achievement, career exploration, drug and alcohol
avoidance, health and fitness, gang and violence prevention, cultural
enrichment, leadership development and community service.
As part of this initiative,
DEA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America will develop model partnership
programs in six field divisions, specifically Seattle, Detroit, Philadelphia,
Phoenix, Houston, and Washington, D.C.
DEA and the Boys
& Girls Clubs of America have a lengthy history of cooperation and
joint efforts. DEAs San Diego Division has sponsored a karate demonstration
and drug education activity at the National City Boys & Girls Club.
DEAs Detroit Division has conducted several drug education and prevention
programs for the Troy, Michigan Boys & Girls Club. They have shared
a video library with the club and taken some of the youngsters to sporting
events. DEAs Houston and Los Angeles Divisions have sponsored golf
tournaments which benefited the local clubs. In Houston, golf instructions
given by LPGA pros where combined with drug prevention education classes
given by DEA.
DEAs Administrator
Thomas A. Constantine stated, "I believe that we are responsible
for providing our children with the facts about the dangers of drugs.
We all must remain alert on this issue and play an active role in order
to make a difference and ensure that our children lead healthy, drug free
lives. DEA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America look forward to a
long and fruitful partnership, with the beneficiaries being the youth
of America."
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