DATE=1/31/95

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-19471

TITLE=DRUG POLICY EVALUATED

BYLINE=DON HENRY

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

// OPT BILLBOARD TEASER ACT OF DRUG EXPERT MATHEA FALCO //

NOBODY HAS FOUND THAT INTERDICTION AND SUPPLY PROGRAMS MAKE ONE

BIT OF DIFFERENCE TO THE SUPPLIES OF DRUGS COMING INTO THIS

COUNTRY.

// END BILLBOARD TEASER ACT //

INTRO: A NEW ANTI-DRUG ORGANIZATION IS URGING CONGRESS TO

REVERSE DRUG WAR SPENDING PRIORITIES SO THAT DEMAND REDUCTION

GETS THE MAJORITY OF FUNDING, INSTEAD OF SUPPLY REDUCTION.

V-O-A'S DON HENRY REPORTS THE GROUP ISSUED A REPORT (TODAY /

TUESDAY) INDICATING PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ARE FAR MORE

EFFECTIVE THAN SUPPLY INTERDICTION IN REDUCING DRUG DEMAND.

TEXT: THE ORGANIZATION CALLED "DRUG STRATEGIES" WAS FORMED BY

SEVERAL PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS LATE IN 1993 -- TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT

AND PRIVATE INITIATIVES TO REDUCE DRUG DEMAND THROUGH PREVENTION,

EDUCATION, TREATMENT, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.

NOTABLY ABSENT FROM THESE ANTI-DRUG STRATEGIES IS INTERNATIONAL

SUPPLY INTERDICTION PROGRAMS. "DRUG STRATEGIES" PRESIDENT MATHEA

FALCO SAYS THAT BASICALLY IS BECAUSE THE GROUP BELIEVES THEY ARE

NOT AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF SPENDING MONEY.

// FALCO ACT //

WE DO NOT SEE, AND THE REPORT TALKS ABOUT THIS, THAT

WE ARE GETTING ANY REAL RETURNS FOR THE BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS WE HAVE INVESTED AS A NATION IN TRYING TO STOP

THE GROWTH OF DRUG CROPS OVERSEAS OR TO INTERCEPT THEM

AS THEY COME INTO THIS COUNTRY. WE BELIEVE THE FOCUS

MUST BE SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY TOWARD REDUCING DEMAND.

// END ACT //

MS. FALCO -- FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NARCOTICS IN

THE LATE 1970'S -- SAYS THE UNITED STATES MUST CONTINUE TO

COOPERATE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WAR ON DRUGS. BUT SHE SAYS

INTERDICTION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS -- A SUBJECT

HER ORGANIZATION IS STUDYING RIGHT NOW.

ACCORDING TO DATA IN THE DRUG STRATEGIES REPORT CARD, ATTACKING

THE SUPPLY OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES HAS THE LEAST IMPACT ON

REDUCING DRUG DEMAND. CITING A RAND CORPORATION STUDY, THE

REPORT SAYS IT COSTS 34 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TREATMENT

PROGRAMS TO REDUCE ANNUAL COCAINE USE BY ONE PERCENT. IT WOULD

TAKE EIGHT TO 10 TIMES THAT MUCH USING ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND

SUPPLY INTERDICTION. AND RAND SAYS IT WOULD COST 23 TIMES AS

MUCH -- OR A WHOPPING 783 MILLION DOLLARS -- IN SOURCE-COUNTRY

CONTROL, SUCH AS ERADICATING COCA CROPS, TO BRING CONSUMPTION

DOWN ONE PERCENT.

// OPT // SO WHY HAVE FEDERAL DRUG WAR BUDGETS FAVORED SUPPLY

REDUCTION BY ABOUT A TWO-TO-ONE MARGIN OVER DEMAND REDUCTION?

AND WHY ARE SOME CONGRESSMEN PLEDGING TO CUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS

THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE 1994 CRIME BILL?

MATHEA FALCO SAYS PART OF THE ANSWER LIES IN THE POLITICAL ALLURE

OF SOUNDING TOUGH ON CRIME, AND ANOTHER PART IS BASED ON WHAT SHE

CALLS AN AMERICAN MYTH.

// FALCO ACT //

I THINK THAT THEY ARE EXPRESSING THE CENTURY-OLD BELIEF

THAT THE AMERICAN DRUG PROBLEM COMES FROM OTHER

COUNTRIES, THAT IT IS FOREIGN IN ORIGIN, THAT IF WE

COULD SOMEHOW JUST STOP IT OVER THERE WE WOULDN'T HAVE A

PROBLEM HERE, THAT IT CAN ESSENTIALLY BE SOLVED BY

EXTERNAL, OFTEN TECHNOLOGICAL MEASURES, LIKE BETTER

EQUIPMENT ON THE HIGH SEAS, BETTER HERBICIDES IN THE

FIELDS OF PERU OR MEXICO, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WHAT WE

NEED TO DO RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN FAMILIES AND

COMMUNITIES.

// END ACT // // END OPT //

IN ADDITION TO LISTING, AND EVALUATING RESULTS OF, FEDERAL DRUG

WAR EXPENDITURES, THE NEW REPORT CONTAINS DETAILED ACCOUNTS OF

COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL DRUG PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS THAT

WORK.

THE GROUP WILL BE SENDING UP TO 15-THOUSAND COPIES OF ITS FEDERAL

DRUG POLICY REPORT CARD TO U-S COMMUNITY LEADERS. THE OBJECTIVE

IS TO SPREAD WORD ABOUT SUCCESSFUL DEMAND REDUCTION EFFORTS AND

TO LOBBY CONGRESS TO DEVOTE ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF DRUG FUNDING TO

CUTTING DEMAND AND THE OTHER ONE-THIRD TO FIGHTING SUPPLY --

ROUGHLY THE REVERSE OF PRESENT SPENDING.

RECIPIENTS ALSO WILL BE ASKED TO FILL OUT AND RETURN A

QUESTIONAIRRE ABOUT THEIR OWN VIEWS ON DRUG WAR PROGRAMS.

MS. FALCO EXPECTS THE REPLIES TO BE TABULATED IN THREE MONTHS --

AT THE SAME TIME A NEW NATIONAL SURVEY WILL BE RELEASED ON

GENERAL PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD DRUG SUPPLY AND DEMAND REDUCTION

EFFORTS.

THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WILL ISSUE ITS ANNUAL DRUG STRATEGY

REPORT IN ABOUT A WEEK (EDS: TENTATIVELY 2/8) AND IS EXPECTED TO

SEEK GREATER DEMAND REDUCTION FUNDING. (SIGNED)

NEB/DOH/BG

31-Jan-95 3:50 PM EST (2050 UTC)

NNNN

Source: Voice of America