CLINTON TOUTS EFFORTS IN DRUG WAR

McCaffrey Says U.S. Should Stress Prevention, Treatment, Research

WASHINGTON - President Clinton praised recent signs of progress in curbing
drug use on Thursday but said "drugs continue to exact a tremendous toll"
on young people dabbling in steroids and recreational drugs.

Mr. Clinton, receiving the final report from his drug-policy adviser, said
he was glad that the report showed drug-related murders at their lowest
level in 10 years and drug use by young people ages 12-17 is down 21
percent since 1997.

But, he said, studies also provide disturbing evidence of increased use of
steroids, the synthetic drug "ecstasy," alcohol and tobacco among young people.

"We must never give up on making our children's futures safe and
drug-free," he said. "Despite our progress, drugs continue to exact a
tremendous toll on our nation."

Barry McCaffrey, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
noted that education and prevention efforts have not kept up with the
onslaught of new drugs such as ecstasy.

Those who use ecstasy normally experience feelings of euphoria and an
increased desire for social interaction. They also experience dramatic
increases in blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.

Use of MDMA, once considered mainly an East Coast drug, has spread rapidly
across the country, Mr. McCaffrey said, with an "explosive increase in
exposure among our children."

"They think it's a hug drug, it's a dance-all-night, feel-good drug," he
said. But ecstasy also may permanently impair the brain's neurochemical
functions, Mr. McCaffrey said, "never mind the possibility of dropping dead
the first time you use it."

Mr. McCaffrey also said that steroid use is up, particularly among youths
who want "to get that slightly ripped look ... to improve their chance of
getting selected" for sports teams.

And he said treatment remains a goal of the National Drug Control Strategy,
pointing out that chronic drug users in the United States tend to be
employed and stable but view treatment as a stigma.

Mr. McCaffrey, who is stepping down Friday, said he is confident the
incoming Bush administration is aware of the importance of treatment.

The Lindesmith Center Drug Policy Foundation is a New York-based institute
that advocates drug policy reform. Its director, Ethan Nadelmann, said in
choosing Mr. McCaffrey's successor, President-elect George W. Bush should
focus on "a new bottom line" for drug policy that emphasizes reducing the
consequences of drug use - death, disease, crime and overall suffering -
rather than focusing on cutting the number of drug users.

"The war on drugs persists because most politicians dare not admit that the
strategy itself is fundamentally flawed," Mr. Nadelmann said.

Mr. McCaffrey's report said curtailing illegal-drug use requires an
approach much like the fight against cancer - "prevention coupled with
treatment accompanied by research."

"The moment we believe ourselves victorious and drop our guard, drug abuse
will resurface in the next generation," the report said.