President Clinton is fighting to stop the scourge of drugs and crime in America. President Clinton travels to Miami today, to release both his 1996 national drug control strategy and a new strategy aimed at ending the spread of methamphetamine (or "meth"). The President will be joined in Miami by General Barry McCaffrey, the director of the nation's fight against drugs, Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, Attorney General Janet Reno, members of the law enforcement community, parents, teachers and children.

Five goals for President Clinton's national drug control strategy:

1. Motivate America's youth to reject illegal drugs and substance abuse.
   => President Clinton has expanded the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program.

2. Enhance the safety of American's by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.
   => President Clinton's 1994 Crime Bill is putting 100,000 new police on the street.

3. Reduce health, welfare and crime costs resulting from illegal drug use.
   => The Administration has expanded drug treatment for hard-core users and developed a drug testing program for all federal arrestees to help end the cycle of violence and drug abuse.

4. Shield America's air, land and sea frontiers from the drug threat.
   => Initiatives such as U.S. Customs' "Operation Hard Line," and increasing the number of border patrols have helped to close down the border to drug traffickers.

5. Break foreign and domestic sources of supply.
   => The Administration refused full certification to Andean source countries, pressure which resulted in the arrest of six of the Cali Cartel's top leaders and the dismantling of the cartel.

A new "meth" strategy of working together. The President's new "Meth Strategy" brings law enforcement, medical, environmental and treatment communities together to attack this problem. This comprehensive national strategy involves enhanced law enforcement efforts, regulation of precursor chemicals, international initiatives, tougher penalties and other legislative proposals, training of investigators and prosecutors, treatment and prevention and a public education campaign.

We have begun to turn the tide. With drug enforcement and prevention as a top priority of the Clinton Administration, America has begun to see results.

• Proactive prevention efforts reduced the number of monthly illicit drug users from 22.3 million in 1985 to 12.2 million in 1994;

• Drug-related homicides are down by 25 percent;

• We have strengthened and expanded the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which enables schools to develop and implement violence and drug programs.

We still have work to do. Along our borders, in every state, city and town, illegal drugs and the crime that comes with them have taken their toll.

• From 1990-1995, more than 100,000 Americans were victims of drug-related deaths, and over 500,000 emergency department visits in 1994 were drug-related;

• The social cost of drug use is $67 billion annually, with Americans spending $49 billion on illegal drugs in 1993 alone.

• This year's strategy calls for $15.1 billion to be spent for drug control in FY 1997.