'TRAFFIC' HAS D.C. ALL ABUZZ

The Oscar-Nominated Film Heightens Debate In The Capital On U.S. Drug
Policy. Hollywood Likes To Think It Has A Say In How The Nation Thinks.

Lately, the movie that has everyone talking is Traffic, the grim tale that
seeks to explore the violence and futility of the war on drugs.

Traffic is a strong candidate in several categories at Sunday's Oscars
ceremony. If it wins Best Picture, critics of U.S. drug policy believe it
could add weight to calls for a new approach to the drug problem.

But skeptics say that is what the media spin-masters in Hollywood want you
to believe. The reality is that it takes a lot more than a movie to bring
about change in the corridors of power.

Even so, Traffic does seem to be having a certain effect:

Last month President Bush asked for a copy to be delivered to Camp David so
he could view it over the weekend. However, the White House isn't sure if
he has seen it yet.

Three days before making a key White House visit, Colombian President
Andres Pastrana had a private showing of Traffic in Washington.

At a Senate committee hearing on drugs last week, speakers cited the movie
in their calls for more money for drug prevention and treatment.

Several members of Congress agreed to cameo roles in the film. Others who
have seen Traffic say it caused them to rethink policy.

In response to Traffic, this week Ted Koppel hosted a five-part series on
drug trafficking, "The Reality Behind the Movie Traffic," on ABC's Nightline.

According to a recent editorial in the New York Times, Traffic "has touched
a nerve in a time of flux in the nation's decades-long campaign against
illicit drugs."

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Michael Douglas, the film tells
the story of an Ohio Supreme Court justice who is about to take over the
post of White House drug czar. But he quickly becomes disillusioned with
empty drug-war rhetoric in Washington. His dismay deepens when he discovers
to his horror that his daughter is hooked on heroin.

While recognizing the bravery and hard work of law enforcement agencies,
the film also portrays the futility of their efforts in the face of the
violence and corruption of drug lords.

The film has won rave reviews, at the same time grossing $102.5-million at
the box office in barely three months.

Some didn't like it. During a private showing for members of Congress, one
senior Senate staffer walked out in disgust. He complained about the film's
permissive message, which he said failed to show adult disapproval of drug use.

Others have also objected to the film's suggestion that interdiction and
law enforcement are a waste of time, and that preventive education and
treatment are the only answer.

But mostly it has won praise from politicians. In Congress last week, Sen.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., used a scene from Traffic to promote a bill
requesting $900-million more for drug prevention and treatment.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had this to say after taking his 16-year-old
daughter to see it: "It had a very powerful effect -- it's caused me to
rethink our policies and priorities."

President Bush also responded recently to a question about Traffic
indicating it is time to "focus on treatment programs that work."

Conservative commentators note their approval with a degree of irony,
considering a general disdain for Hollywood.

"It's not surprising that this sort of film should come from hateful
Hollywood where there's more cocaine than snow on Mount Everest," said Mark
Falcoff, a Latin America specialist with the American Enterprise Institute,
a conservative think tank in Washington.

"But even Hollywood sometimes occasionally stumbles on a good idea," he
added. "I hope it (Traffic) stirs debate because I fear there's inertia on
this issue and we will continue sliding down the slope."

But it is still hard to gauge how far policymakers are ready to move in a
new direction.

So far, the Bush administration has kept issues of drug policy surprisingly
close to its chest. A drug czar hasn't been chosen. Congressional sources
say the White House has given almost no hint of who is being considered.

Among those rumored to be on a short list are Brent Coles, the young
Republican mayor of Boise, Idaho, who is popular with treatment advocates,
as well as Florida drug czar Jim McDonough.

Bush's statements on treatment are encouraging to some.

"I think there's a chance. I can't remember a president speaking like
that," said Joseph A. Califano, who served as secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare in the Carter administration and is now president of
the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse.

"We have a president who is essentially a recovering alcoholic," he added,
referring to Bush's past drinking problem. "Bush has certainly lived
through it."

Califano also praised Gov. Jeb Bush's initiatives in Florida, including a
Prevention First conference last year. "There isn't another governor who
understand the issues better," he said.

But policy experts warn that the chances of a significant change in
well-entrenched drug policy are slim.

Last year, during debates over the $1.3-billion counter-narcotics package
for Colombia -- amendments to increase funding for demand reduction
programs were defeated.

Despite all the hype over Traffic, a recent poll shows the public is highly
skeptical of new treatment-based approaches to the drug problem.

A poll of more than 1,500 adults conducted last month by the Pew Research
Center found nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that the United
States is losing the drug war and that the problem will never disappear.

Americans still favor repressive measures such as drug interdiction and
arrests of drug dealers over education and treatment. In 1988, 51 percent
of Americans believed in education as a tool against drugs, while 35
percent believe in it today.

"There's so much skepticism out there," said Maureen Steinbruner, president
of the Center for National Policy, which publicized the poll. "Traffic has
touched a nerve, but the answer to the twitch isn't plausibly out there."

While the movie has sparked new debate, some wonder how long that will last.

Although plenty of organizations are active on the issue, it isn't
considered a top priority in Washington.

"We struggled in the Clinton administration to really get people at the top
level to care about it," said Michele Manatt, former head of legislative
affairs at the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Manatt believes the entertainment industry can make a difference at times.
She cited the efforts of David Bowie's wife, supermodel Iman, to bring the
issue of Somalia to the fore in the mid 1990s, as well as Philadelphia, the
Tom Hanks movie credited with raising AIDS awareness. In the mid 1980s,
rock musicians also led the calls for international aid to Ethiopian famine
victims.

But Manatt is less hopeful about the results of Traffic.

"There are times when Hollywood really helps to focus something," she said.
"Debate is good. But I don't think our political institutions are going to
be swayed beyond that."