US DRUG USE DOWN

McCaffrey: Drug use contained but not defeated
President Clinton's top drugs policy official says there
has been a dramatic fall in teenage drug use in the
United States.

White House drugs policy director, Barry McCaffrey, said the 21%
decline in the use of drugs by teenagers over the past two years
showed the success of efforts to tackle drugs trafficking.

But he also said that there had been an explosive increase in the use
of the drug ecstasy by young people.

General McCaffrey emphasised the need for continued work on
prevention, education, and treatment - as well as multi-national
cooperation.

Club Drugs

In his last report before stepping down on Friday, General McCaffrey
said about 14 million Americans used illegal drugs last month alone.

He said studies had also provided disturbing evidence of increased use
of steroids, ecstasy and other drugs.

Use of ecstasy, once mainly an East Coast drug, had spread rapidly
across the country, the report said.

Crack Cocaine

About 1.27 million doses of ecstasy were confiscated in 1999, compared
with 92,000 in 1997.

He also noted that steroid use was up, particularly among young people
who want "to get that ripped look... to improve their chance of
getting selected for Little League baseball, or high school diving, or
track".

He insisted, however, that efforts by the Clinton administration had
had a positive impact and called on the incoming administration of
George W Bush to continue the fight against drugs.

General McCaffrey said drug-related crimes such as robbery and murder
had dropped significantly, due largely to a decline in the use of
crack cocaine.

The drug czar added that the US would continue to support the
government of Colombia in its efforts to reduce drug production.

Colombia is the source of much of America's illicit cocaine and heroin
trade, and General McCaffrey was instrumental in developing a $1.3bn
aid package to help fight the drugs war.

A key issue for the Bush administration will be whether to continue
funding the plan, in which US military advisers are training special
Colombian battalions to combat the drugs trade.

General McCaffrey said the problem was not just an American one and
called on European countries to help.

Some 200 tonnes of cocaine, he said went to Europe last year from
Colombia.