DEPARTING DRUG CZAR CITES PROGRESS, SAYS MORE TO BE DONE

Teen drug use is down and funding for drug treatment and research is up,
but "a lot remains to be done," drug czar Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey said
yesterday during his farewell press briefing at the White House.

Chronic abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol are "the heart and soul" of
almost any social, medical, legal or international problem, said Gen.
McCaffrey, whom President Clinton appointed director of the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in 1996.

"There is no question that we're still looking at a U.S. society in which 6
percent of us, last month, used an illegal drug - 14 million Americans,
52,000 dead a year, $110 billion in damages," he said.

Still, after concerted efforts by his office and other top Clinton
administration officials, "I think the numbers are starting to respond,"
said Gen. McCaffrey, citing decreases in U.S. cocaine use and improvements
in local and international law-enforcement strategies.

Gen. McCaffrey leaves the ONDCP today for a job at West Point teaching
national security studies. He plans to remain active in the fight against
illegal drug use - "I have to," he told The Washington Times - as well as
write a book about the issue.

Mr. Clinton praised Gen. McCaffrey's efforts, saying the latest reports
show that the nation is "making real progress" on drug control.

"We must never give up on making our children's futures safe and
drug-free," the president said. Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican, also
commended Gen. McCaffrey, for his "valiant attempt" to try to "repair the
damage of the first four years" of Clinton administration drug policies.

"McCaffrey, given what he inherited, did the best he could, but now whoever
takes over has almost an insurmountable task," said Mr. Mica, chairman of
the House Government Reform subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy
and human resources.

The congressman said Mr. Clinton's first drug czar, Lee Brown, made unwise
changes that brought "a flood of drugs" into the United States.

The drug situation in Colombia is now "so out of control" that it is
destabilizing "the entire Central American and South American continents,"
said Mr. Mica. Domestically, he said, the lower use of marijuana has been
"eclipsed" by increases in use of methamphetamines and "club drugs."

Gen. McCaffrey yesterday released several reports, including a new one on
drug use in sports.

He cited as achievements:

- - Creation of a comprehensive drug-control strategy and a new
intelligence-gathering program.

- - Creation of 28 "high-intensity drug trafficking area programs," which
coordinate local, state and federal law-enforcement efforts.

- - Anti-drug budget increases from $13.5 billion in fiscal 1996 to $19.2
billion in fiscal 2000, with more money going to prevention, treatment and
research.

- - Creation of some 700 drug courts.

- - Creation of cooperative strategies with "key drug transit and source
countries" such as Colombia, Mexico and Thailand.

Among the retired general's disappointments were the "widespread, explosive
increase" in Americans' use of "club drugs" such as "ecstasy" and low
recognition for the value of drug treatment.

Regarding his successor, Gen. McCaffrey said he was "very upbeat about the
new team," based on his experiences with people associated with
President-elect George W. Bush.

"I can't imagine that there isn't widespread unanimity of view that we need
to continue working on prevention, education and treatment issues as well
as multinational cooperation," he said.

Mr. Mica, however, said he was "very concerned" about the fate of the drug
czar post, which he has heard may be downgraded to "less than Cabinet" status.

The new drug czar has to have access to the president and should be someone
with a high profile, said Mr. Mica. Otherwise, "we're headed for an
incredible disaster."