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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | ||||
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| REMARKS BY: | TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
| PLACE: | The National Youth Summit, Washington, D.C. |
| DATE: | June 27, 2002 |
Congressman (Richard) Burr shares Mary-Louise's and the President's deep concern for abstinence and responsibility among our young people. And Congressman, let me thank you for being such a staunch supporter of our nation's efforts to prepare for and defeat a bioterror attack.
Satya Patel (of NHGRI) and Harry Wilson (or ACF) from my own department are tireless advocates for American youth. It's great to be on the same team with all of you.
I'm so appreciative that Attorney General Ashcroft and Secretary Veneman are able to participate in our conference, and I'm glad they continue to work in partnership with HHS to meet the needs of our young people.
This Youth Summit is the result of a truly collaborative effort between the public and private sectors. Eight Cabinet Departments and 17 organizations have contributed time and resources to bring us together today. It's a great example of cooperation for a good cause, and I hope we can carry that spirit over into our efforts to help America's youth. I thank all those who made this Summit a reality.
We're here to talk about the American future, and that means talking about America's youth. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is releasing the results of their 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System report. It shows that we still face serious challenges in making our youth safe and responsible. But it also shows that there's a lot to be proud of.
American youth today are more responsible and more informed than they have been in a long while. Drug use is decreasing. Smoking rates are down. Sexual responsibility is on the rise. Seatbelt usage is up. Youth are less likely than ever to ride with a drunk driver.
Drug use, while still far too high, does show a downward trend. In 1997, almost half of all students reporting having tried drugs. That number has decreased by almost a fifth, to 42 percent. It's a trend we're going to encourage as we get the message out about the dangers of drugs.
That's good news. But there's still work to be done. As you may know, my Department has strongly endorsed prevention as a means of stopping illness before it starts. Prevention means altering behaviors - choosing not to smoke - choosing to exercise - choosing to eat sensibly. It means taking control of your life, so illness can't.
Preventive measures like simple exercise can ward off diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease. And that's more important than you might think. There's a perception that these are diseases of the middle-aged and the old. Sadly, this is increasingly untrue.
Cardiovascular problems, for example, aren't just worries for people in their 50s and above. We've all heard of the tragic death of St Louis pitcher Darryl Kile, killed by blocked arteries at only 33.
Type two diabetes, once a disease of the middle-aged and elderly, is now setting in with young people, and even children. The increase in diabetes is directly related to the increase in obesity.
The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 20 years. More than 13 percent of Americans aged 6-17 years - about 8 million young people - are considered overweight. For all this, only about a third of all students are enrolled in a physical education class.
Our message of prevention is aimed at reducing these terrible numbers. We can only urge and advise - it's American youth who must make the difference.
In many ways, they already are. One of the best preventive measures you can take is not to smoke. Or, if you do smoke, you can quit. And guess what? America's youth are doing just that. The CDC study reports that youth smoking has fallen for the past four years.
Five years ago, over one-third of American students reported that they used cigarettes. Now that number's down to 29 percent, and we're going to keep pushing it still lower. That means less cancer and less heart disease in our future.
Sexual responsibility is part of prevention, too. Teen sex does more than just encourage out-of-wedlock births and welfare dependency - it also helps spread sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS. And it introduces young people to intimacy far too soon.
The more that American youth are educated about the benefits of abstinence, the more we can encourage healthy behaviors for them, and a healthier future for everyone. We're putting our money on it - in the last five years, 49 states and several territories have received grants to promote abstinence among teens.
Has it had some effect? Well, the percentage of students reporting sexual intercourse decreased over ten years from 54 to 46 percent. That's a great trend, and we're doing our utmost to keep it going.
The President's budget for fiscal year 2003 includes a $33 million increase over 2002 funding for abstinence-only education, fulfilling the President's pledge to fund abstinence-only programs at $135 million - an unprecedented investment in teen abstinence education. For the first time, the federal government has demonstrated its commitment to bringing equity to the message of abstinence and teen family-planning services.
The projects funded provide teens with the critical information that abstinence from sexual activity is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
100 percent effective. That's a scientific fact!
Let me be very clear - I'm optimistic about America's youth.
When you cut through all the data and the details of the CDC report, one thing is quite clear - three-quarters of American youth are making safe, sensible choices for their lives. And the remaining quarter may be at-risk, but they're certainly not lost.
We're doing everything we can to reach them. HHS's Administration for Children and Families, under the outstanding leadership of Wade Horn, is leading the way with the strategy of Positive Youth Development.
We believe that America's youth can make sound decisions. We believe that we should address entire lifestyles rather than separating young people by particular behaviors. And we believe that social factors - strong connection to school, a sense of family connectedness, and an active faith - are crucial to safeguarding the welfare of America's youth.
America's youth deserve praise for the good they've done - and they deserve support for the tasks ahead. Too often, when we hear bad news about young people, we ask what went wrong with them. Then, when we hear good news about young people, we congratulate the teachers, counselors, and parents who made it happen.
The teachers, counselors, and parents certainly deserve praise. But we should never forget that the only people who can change people are the people themselves. We've got good news about youth because our youth are good Americans. And good young Americans mean a bright future for America.
So let me say this - and I mean it from the bottom of my heart - to the young people here and across our great land - Thank you.
Thank you for not smoking. Thank you for saying yes to abstinence. Thank you for exercising. Thank you for eating well. And thank you for motivating your peers to do the same. Our good news is your great work. And as you move forward, we're going to stand behind you every step of the stay.
God bless you, and God bless our great nation.