NEW DRUG CZAR NOW BELIEVES IN TREATMENT

WASHINGTON - John Walters, President Bush's nominee to become the next
White House drug policy director, said yesterday he supports federal
funding for drug-abuse treatment and prevention, reversing his past view on
the issue.

Asked by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., if his opinion had changed since 1996,
when he wrote that federal funding was neither "necessary nor sufficient"
for teaching children that drug abuse is wrong, Walters replied: "Yeah, I
have changed my view on that."

Walters, was testifying at his confirmation hearing before the Senate
Judiciary Committee.

Noting that Bush favors increased federal funding for such programs, he
said, "It is the president's policy and I wouldn't have taken this job if I
disagreed with him on that."

Bush named Walters as director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy in May.

Walters has drawn heavy criticism from drug-treatment advocates, civil
libertarians and public health officials, who accused him of promoting a
"hard-line" policy of focusing on incarcerating drug addicts rather than
treating them.

Walters was a former deputy to the nation's first so-called "drug czar,"
William Bennett.

Republicans on the committee lauded Walters.

"John Walters is the right man for this difficult job," said Sen. Jon Kyl,
R-Ariz. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, added that during Walters' tenure in the
drug policy office from 1989 to 1993, prevention spending increased by 88
percent.

If confirmed, Walters would succeed Barry McCaffrey, who left the post in
January.