THE WAR ON DRUGS: WHY WE FIGHT

AS the special agent in charge of the New York Office of the Drug
Enforcement Administration, I read with interest Arianna Huffington's
June 2 column, "The Drug War: Just Say ‘No More.'" I believe she
misses the mark by implying that the "drug war" is a purely domestic
issue, with drug-enforcement efforts equating to a war on our own citizens.

I began my drug-law-enforcement career in New York City 25 years ago
and have since worked and managed major narcotic investigations around
the world. I can clearly and confidently state than the greatest
threat to our citizens is not the war on drugs, but instead the
relentless efforts of international drug trafficking
organizations.

These organizations' most devastating adaptation has been their
ability to drive the drug market and actually increase demand, and
therefore profits, by employing sophisticated marketing techniques.

Without question, the most socially devastating drug epidemic to hit
this nation was crack cocaine. The key to crack's rapid spread was
marketing. At the time, cocaine was a relatively expensive drug abused
by a select population. Crack, with prices of $5 to $10 per vial, in
effect made cocaine abuse economically feasible for a much wider
population. The result: increases in the volume trafficked more than
made up for the less expensive price.

The lessons of crack were not lost on the traffickers. Twenty-five
years ago, heroin sold for $10 per bag. Purity was relatively low, in
the 3 percent to 10 percent range, and demand, limited to long-term
addicts, eventually waned. Then, in the early '90s, several South
American drug-trafficking organizations began using an established
cocaine-smuggling infrastructure to ship high-purity heroin to the
northeastern United States. This heroin sold on the street at
unprecedented purity levels, now over 60 percent, for the same $10.

At this purity level, one can get high by sniffing heroin. This opens
heroin abuse to all those who would have never used a drug the
required a needle. With fear of AIDS, hepatitis or the needles
themselves no longer a factor, heroin abuse has significantly
increased and now crosses all socio-economic levels.

Most recently, major Europe-based traffickers took note of the rapid
rise in the abuse of MDMA (ecstasy) in Europe in the mid '90s. In 1998
and 1999, they made a calculated effort to increase profits: They
began flooding the U.S. market with MDMA pills, using our cultural
familiarity with taking pills to their advantage. The marketing
strategy did not stop with increasing the supply to drive demand.
Almost all MDMA pills are sold with logos stamped in, creating brands
for users to seek out. Many of those brands are specifically designed
to appeal to teens.

The dangers of ecstasy are just becoming apparent. A study recently
published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
revealed that, given intelligence tests weeks after partying,
individuals who used ecstasy along with marijuana performed worse than
did people who smoked only pot or took no drugs.

While Ms. Huffington does not explicitly call for drug legalization,
she is highly critical of the "drug war" and seems to outline one side
of an academic debate about policy choices. However, the debate is
beyond academic.

As a DEA representative, I have had the opportunity to speak with
community groups in New York, Philadelphia and Detroit about the role
of DEA and our drug-enforcement strategies. Though at times quite
heated, these discussions have been extremely beneficial for the
citizens and the agency because it was clear that both sides wanted
the same thing: communities free from the ravages of drugs.

While overdose deaths are the most noted effect of drug abuse, the
most subversive effect of drugs in the community is the delayed or
destroyed dreams, hopes and aspirations of those who cannot break the
cycle of addiction.

Children across the nation want an alternative to drugs and
drug-related activities. They also want adults to show a sincere
interest in their lives and not to give in to their impulsive drives.
Rather than surrendering in our drug-enforcement efforts, it is far
better to talk about after-school activities, jobs and meaningful
relationships that can bridge the gap between child and adult, and
reassure them that we have not written their future off.

Yes, there is more to any "drug war" than making arrests. Any
successful anti-drug program must include elements of enforcement,
treatment, and prevention. DEA has a strong demand-reduction and
community-outreach program. We encourage and actively participate in
community empowerment, enabling residents to establish control of
their neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for all.

Drugs are aggressively supplied and marketed by sophisticated
international traffickers using techniques worthy of Madison Avenue.
The ultimate victory will not be won by throwing up our hands in
frustration when challenged by their resources and expertise. It will
be won by a joint enforcement, treatment and education effort that
builds on the lessons from the communities that have successfully
renounced drugs and drug trafficking.