GOVERNOR NAMES ANTI-DRUG CZAR

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA -- Gov. Frank O'Bannon said Wednesday that
former Atty. Gen. Karen Freeman-Wilson will be the state's drug policy
coordinator.

Freeman-Wilson, who lost her job as attorney general in the November
election, will be responsible for coordinating state and local efforts
to combat the illegal use and distribution of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

It is a newly created post that will pay Freeman-Wilson $70,000 a
year. The attorney general post paid a yearly salary of $79,000, plus
a $12,000 housing allowance.

O'Bannon appointed Freeman-Wilson as attorney general last February to
replace Jeff Modisett, who resigned to take a private-sector job.
Freeman-Wilson failed to keep the post when she lost the November
election to Republican Steven Carter.

Freeman-Wilson said one of her top goals was to increase coordination
of anti-drug efforts.

"You have the state police working on methamphetamine and local police
agencies working on crack cocaine, but there is always a feeling and
sentiment among citizens that 'I'm living next door to a crack house,
and nobody cares about it,"' Freeman-Wilson said.

Freeman-Wilson said she expects youth to be among her most important
ground troops in waging the battle against drug abuse.

"The reality is if you get the message out early to young people ...
they will send that message to their friends, to people they don't
even know, and we will be able to see a change in patterns and use of
drugs," she said.