MCCAFFREY ADVOCATES DRUG PREVENTION

WASHINGTON (AP)--The longtime rallying cry of a ``war on drugs'' to describe
the effort to curtail illegal drug use in the United States has become
``misleading'' the White House drug policy director says.

A more accurate comparison is to the fight against cancer _ ``Prevention
coupled with treatment accompanied by research,'' Barry McCaffrey said in
his final report on America's drug problem.

``Although wars are expected to end, drug education--like all schooling--is
a continuous process,'' the retired four-star general said in the report to
be presented Thursday at the White House.

``The moment we believe ourselves victorious and drop our guard, drug abuse
will resurface in the next generation. To reduce the demand for drugs,
prevention must be ongoing,'' according to the report obtained Wednesday by
The Associated Press.

McCaffrey, who is stepping down Friday as director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy, was adding treatment as one of the goals of the
National Drug Control Strategy.

Treatment programs, he said, can ``reduce the consequences of addiction.''
Providing access to them for ``chronic drug abusers'' is ``compassionate
public policy and a sound investment.''

``We've got 5 million chronically addicted Americans. If we don't have them
in effective drug treatment programs we can't ever break the cycle of crime,
violence, accidents, health costs that come from drug abuse,'' McCaffrey
said in an interview Thursday on CBS' ``The Early Show.''

He said he is confident the incoming Bush administration is aware of the
importance of treatment

Among the other elements of the drug control strategy:

 Educating and enabling youth to reject illegal drugs as well as alcohol
and tobacco.

 Increasing Americans' safety by reducing drug-related crime and violence.

 Shielding air, land and sea frontiers from the drug threat.

 Breaking foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.

``Along with prevention and treatment, law enforcement is essential for
reducing drug use,'' McCaffrey said. ``Illegal drug trafficking inflicts
violence and corruption on our communities. Law enforcement is the first
line of defense against such unacceptable activity.''

McCaffrey also is urging the Bush administration to continue successful
anti-drug programs. He cites a 21 percent decline in drug use by teen-agers
in the past two years as well as a 50 percent drop in overall drug use.
Drug-related crimes and murders also have plummeted, he said.

``Drug abuse and its consequences can be reduced,'' he said. ``By historical
standards, present rates of drug use are relatively low. With the concerted
effort outlined in the National Drug Control Strategy and this report, we
can lower them further.''

McCaffrey also plans to name Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla., as areas
where drug manufacturing and sales flourish and where federal, state and
local law enforcement agencies cooperate. ___