ANTI-DRUG ADS TO TARGET INDIANS

Rate Of Illicit Use Among Teen-agers Is Highest In Nation

WASHINGTON -- The Clinton administration unveiled a $2 million advertising
campaign yesterday aimed at fighting drug abuse among American Indians, who
have the highest rate of drug use in the country, and the crime and other
social problems that go with it.

"I'm dismayed at how poorly we've responded to this problem," Clinton drug
control adviser Barry McCaffrey said. He spoke at a conference of tribal
leaders and substance-abuse experts organized by the White House.

A federal study released last week found that 19.6 percent of teen-age
American Indians used illicit drugs, the highest rate of any group in the
nation.

The national average for those between 12 and 17 years old was 9 percent.

And although a lower percentage of Indians drink alcohol than the general
population, alcohol-related deaths among Indians of ages 15-24 are 17 times
higher than the national average, McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey showed off anti-drug print and radio ads that will run in 79
tribal newspapers, eight national newspapers or magazines and scores of
radio stations.

The print ads include images of Indian fathers and sons, telling readers to
"pass down the traditions and communicate to our youth that drugs are not
part of our Native cultures."

Some tribal officials at the conference said the federal government is not
doing enough to fight addictions among Indians, particularly alcoholism.

"What are we doing with the people that are making the Budweisers, the
Coors, that are killing us?" asked Lloyd Tortalita, governor of New
Mexico's Acoma Pueblo. "The people that we elect to Congress are taking
money from the alcohol makers. We will always have this problem with
alcohol as long as that happens."

McCaffrey said he agreed that alcohol abuse is America's top drug problem.

"The alcohol industry has some political clout," McCaffrey said. "But I
don't think the solution to alcohol abuse lies in Congress. I think it lies
in the community."