Sara Carter, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, delivered the keynote speech at L.E.A.D.’s 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference on Tuesday morning, June 2. (Photo Courtesy Office of L.E.A.D.)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence (L.E.A.D.) welcomed White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter as keynote speaker Tuesday morning following the opening ceremonies at the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.
Carter, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate earlier this year as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, addressed hundreds of law enforcement officers, educators, prevention professionals and community leaders gathered from across the United States for L.E.A.D.’s annual training conference.
As Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Carter oversees the National Drug Control Strategy and evaluates anti-drug efforts conducted by federal, state and local agencies.
During her keynote address, Carter spoke about the nation’s ongoing efforts to address substance abuse and drug trafficking, as well as the importance of prevention and community engagement.
Carter called it an honor to partner with L.E.A.D. to offer proactive, research-proven methods to combatting the American drug crisis. This comes as L.E.A.D. continues to implement an upgraded training curriculum called Botvin LifeSkills® Training (LST), the most rigorously tested drug prevention education program in the country, scientifically proven to reduce drug use, alcohol misuse, and violent behavior. More than 200 guests at the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference, which is being held from June 1-4, are undergoing LST training.
“We are so honored to join forces with Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence. We’re very excited about this relationship in the future,” Carter said during her address. “We are especially proud that you have taken your program to the next level by investing in prevention science and rigorous evaluation, proving that primary prevention results in less drug use and violence.”
“I also want to thank you all for joining us here today,” Carter added. “Many of you have witnessed the toll of drugs firsthand — the violence, suffering, the deaths, and lives destroyed by illegal and even legal drugs.”
Carter also discussed 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, emphasizing the importance of effective, evidence-based drug prevention work, describing it as a nonpartisan response to a problem afflicting cities and towns throughout the United States.
“The drug crisis is not a Republican crisis, nor is it a Democrat crisis. It is an American crisis that has impacted nearly every community throughout our nation,” Carter said. “Our children, our future, deserve nothing less than the best, most effective primary prevention that we can provide. As you all know, evidence-based primary prevention is cost-effective, builds healthy communities and it saves lives.”
The keynote followed opening remarks from L.E.A.D. Executive Director and CEO Nick DeMauro and L.E.A.D. Board Chair Kevin Haney. DeMauro noted that, for the first time, L.E.A.D. training programs were mentioned in the National Drug Control Strategy when it was released earlier this year.
“We are honored that Director Carter joined us to open this year’s conference and share her perspective with our attendees,” said DeMauro. “We appreciate Director Carter taking the time to speak directly to our L.E.A.D. trainers about the challenges and opportunities facing prevention efforts nationwide. We thank her for sharing her support for our efforts and we look forward to collaborating with our federal partners to further this mission of drug and violence prevention using the most research-driven, proven-effective curricula available.”
The 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference brings together law enforcement officers, school resource officers, educators and prevention specialists for professional development, networking and training focused on helping young people avoid drugs, violence and other risky behaviors.
L.E.A.D. provides evidence-based drug and violence prevention education to students through partnerships with law enforcement agencies and schools nationwide. The organization trains and certifies law enforcement officers and educators to deliver prevention curricula designed to help students develop decision-making, communication and life skills.
For more information about L.E.A.D., visit the organization’s website at leadrugs.org.
About L.E.A.D.
L.E.A.D. — Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence — is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students understand the dangers of drugs and violence while teaching them how to set attainable goals, manage their emotions and make wise decisions. L.E.A.D. trains and certifies law enforcement officers to deliver evidence-based drug and violence prevention education directly in schools and communities — reaching students before risky decisions arise. L.E.A.D. officers teach Botvin LifeSkills® Training (LST), the most rigorously tested prevention curriculum in the country, proven to reduce drug use, alcohol misuse, and violent behavior. L.E.A.D. is active in all 50 states with more than 6,500 certified officer and educator instructors, made possible through donations and grants.
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter delivers the keynote address during the opening session of the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference hosted by Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence (L.E.A.D.) on June 2 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo Courtesy Office of L.E.A.D.)
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter, right, greets L.E.A.D. Board Chairman Kevin Haney during the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference on June 2 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo Courtesy Office of L.E.A.D.)
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter poses for a photo with a L.E.A.D. employee and Leo, the official L.E.A.D. mascot, during the 21st Century Drug & Violence Prevention Training Conference on June 2 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo Courtesy Office of L.E.A.D.)
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