wfn.org | NCC's Brenda Girton-Mitchell Statement on Youth and Drugs

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

National Council of Churches U.S.A.
EMBARGO: 1:15 P.M. (Eastern) July 10, 2003

STATEMENT ABOUT YOUTH AND DRUGS
BY BRENDA GIRTON-MITCHELL
ASSOCIATE GENERAL SECRETARY OF PUBLIC POLICY
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES U.S.A.
FOR JULY 10 NEWS CONFERENCE
ON ANTI-DRUG RESOURCES FOR FAITH COMMUNITIES

The National Council of Churches USA and our 36 member communions - which
comprise 50 million adherents in 140,000 local congregations nationwide -
recognize that we have a responsibility to love, encourage, nurture and
guide our children.

We affirm the role of the church to give moral guidance and transmit
positive values. Part of that is helping people cultivate self-respect and
make healthy choices.  In light of the challenges many young people now
face, our churches play a vital role in helping parents communicate with
their children about alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. Our churches are
also a vehicle through which valuable information can be disseminated to
parents and youth about the dangers of substance abuse.

Experimenting with alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs can hinder our
children from fully developing their gifts and talents. In worse case
scenarios, experimentation can lead to addiction and abuse. Our faith
teaches us that this is in direct conflict with Christian values and
principles.

We teach our children that they are created in the image of God.  We also
teach them that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians
6:19-20) and that we should honor God in body and spirit, both of which
belong to God.

Based on theological grounding and scientific research we understand that
the use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs can cause harm, not only to
our bodies, but also to our mental and spiritual well being. It can result
in fractured relationships and harm to families. By preventing abuse of
these substances, we will ultimately eliminate the serious and complicated
problems that arise from their use.

Finally, our churches also encourage adults to be role models of Christian
values and principles so that our children are led by example. The days are
past when we can say to our children, do what I say, not what I do. The days
are past when we can tell our children that they should be seen and not
heard. Instead, through the preaching and teaching of the Gospel we strive
to build the self-esteem of young people and create safe spaces for open
conversation and interactive learning.

As our churches continue to search for creative ways to be relevant in
addressing issues like substance abuse, we applaud the efforts of the Office
of National Drug Control Policy's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to
provide important resources that can assist us in teaching our youth how to
live substance-free lives and grow to be the people that God intends.

-end-

Media Contact: Leslie Tune, NCC, 202-297-2191
www.ncccusa.org; ltune@ncccusa.org

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