English: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 1999

Explore Space...Not Drugs NASA Anti-Drug Website Launched Today Salmon Legislation Spurs National Campaign to Combat Teen Drug Abuse via the Internet

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Arizona Congressman Matt Salmon joined Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Eileen Collins, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) General Barry McCaffrey, Senator Chuck Grassley (IA), and 100 school children at Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Washington, DC to launch a new website with fun, interactive content designed to encourage teens to stay off drugs. The Explore Space...Not Drugs site can be accessed through NASA’s main page at www.nasa.gov.

"I’m thrilled that my legislation has spurred a national campaign to combat teen drug abuse via the internet," said Salmon. "Thanks to the leadership of NASA’s Dan Goldin and General Barry McCaffrey, thousands of students who already access the NASA website will be encouraged to say no to drugs as they explore the Final Frontier," he continued.

In response to legislation authored by Salmon that passed the House on May 19th, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin decided to pre-empt full passage of the legislation and work with the ONDCP to place anti-drug messages on NASA’s website. The ONDCP’s General Barry McCaffrey then expanded this concept to other federal agencies. Already, 17 other federal agencies and departments have committed to adding anti-drug messages to their websites. Senator Grassley sponsored a similar amendment in the Senate.

"With the strong support of Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Eileen Collins, I hope that more teens will be inspired to explore space, not drugs," said Salmon.

The site includes, among other things, a number of messages from astronauts about the dangers of drug use, electronic postcards, information on space related careers, space games with anti-drug messages, and links to information on the health effects of drugs. The site will also include an opportunity for students to sign an anti-drug pledge that will go on a CD-ROM that will travel into space.