Joycelyn Elders - Why Drug Policy Is A Health Care Issue - 09/24/98 by westminsterforum

Joycelyn Elders became the first African-American and the second woman to hold the post of Surgeon General of the United States. A pediatric endocrinologist, she initiated programs to combat smoking and teen pregnancy and to encourage childhood immunizations. She worked to change America's thinking about health by putting prevention first, and she was committed to being a voice for the poor and the powerless. She believes that violence, sexually-transmitted diseases, poverty, and substance-abuse are major threats to the health and well-being of our children. She continues her career today at the University of Arkansas School of Medicine and lobbies for the welfare of children and the powerless.