JOHNSON BACKS OFF ON DRUGS

SANTA FE - Gov. Gary Johnson, a day after he appeared on "60 Minutes"
advocating the legalization of heroin and marijuana, said Monday he now
thinks only marijuana should be legalized.

Harder drugs, including heroin, should be handled by so-called "harm
reduction" programs, including more drug treatment and prevention,
government-run clinics to dispense drugs to addicts, needle exchanges and
increased education, Johnson said.

Johnson said his thinking has evolved since the CBS television program was
taped in December.

"When you talk about the legalization of heroin, it just scares people,"
Johnson said in an interview. "So I think I'm going to focus on
legalization of marijuana and talk about harm reduction when it comes to
heroin and other drugs."

Johnson said he also plans to be more cautious about speaking to
schoolchildren about legalizing drugs.

He said he now would speak about drugs at schools to children in grades
K-12 only after hours. That way if parents do not want their children to
hear the governor's views on legalizing drugs, they won't have to, he said.

"I just want to be very careful," Johnson said. "I will be going to school
after hours ... where those that show up are there of their free will, and
they're not being forced to listen to something that they shouldn't have to
listen to."

A small group of parents in Santa Fe protested in December against
Johnson's planned appearance before De Vargas Middle School students,
saying they did not want him to talk about drugs. Johnson subsequently
agreed not to talk about drug legalization with the students.

"Those parents had a point," Johnson said Monday. "Their kids shouldn't
have to hear something they don't want them to."

Johnson previously had talked about his drug views during school hours at
Santa Fe High School and in La Cienega before a group of students from both
Desert Academy and Los Alamos Middle School.

Johnson said Monday he will answer questions if asked about his views on
drug legalization at any forum he attends.

Regarding the "60 Minutes" program, Johnson said Monday he thought it fair
and balanced, if now somewhat outdated because of his shift on legalizing
heroin.

"I just don't see how they could have presented what I've been saying any
better in 13 minutes," Johnson said.

Johnson stressed, as he has in the past, that he is not advocating drug use
of any kind, which he calls a bad choice. He said he still believes
legalizing drugs, including heroin, would reduce drug use because the
substances could be taxed, regulated and controlled.

Johnson's office received more than 170 electronic messages, nearly all
positive, after he appeared Sunday on "60 Minutes," said Diane Kinderwater,
his press secretary.

CBS News spokesman Kevin Tedesco said Monday the "60 Minutes" segment on
Johnson has generated "a fairly normal reaction" in terms of the number of
e-mails, letters and telephone calls from viewers.

"We don't give out exact numbers," Tedesco said. "And it's kind of too
early to tabulate that - it's less than 24 hours."

In New Mexico, Johnson's approval rating with voters has plunged nearly

percentage points in the past year, declining from a 54 percent level in
April 1999 to 35 percent last month, according to a recent Journal poll.

More than two-thirds of New Mexico voters surveyed in the poll called
Johnson's push to legalize marijuana and heroin a bad idea.

Johnson said he knew his popularity would plummet when he started pushing
for drug legalization because he said people do not understand the issue.
For example, he said, he still is convinced legalizing heroin would result
in less drug-related crime.

"But the message gets lost," Johnson said. "That's why you need to be
looking at marijuana first. Why not take a realistic approach to this?"

Johnson earlier this month vetoed a provision in the $3.5 billion state
budget that would have banned the use of budget money to "promote the
legalization or decriminalization of controlled substances."

Johnson, who had spent state money in the past on trips to promote his drug

views, said the budget provision was an infringement on his freedom of speech.

However, Johnson reiterated Monday that he does not plan to spend more
state money for his own travel on out-of-state trips promoting his drug
views, although his security detail would still be paid with state funds.

"Regrettably, security will go along with me skiing," said Johnson, an avid
skier. "I mean, that's their job, so I don't know where you draw the line."