DON'T GIVE UP ON THE DRUG WAR

The revelation of grave sites in Mexico near El Paso, Texas, casts a new
and bloody light on the drug war. So far, the FBI and Mexican investigators
have found six bodies, but expect to find more of what they suspect are
victims of drug lords.

These must be added to the "war's" many other casualties -- Drug
Enforcement Agency agents, Colombian and Mexican military -- as well as the
lives ruined in this country. With such a high toll and the sad fact that
drugs are still around, it has become quite fashionable to say that the
"war on drugs" has been lost or that it is unwinnable. That may be the
party line.

It's also very wrong.

In fact, recent studies indicate that -- though continued vigilance is
essential -- substantial success has been achieved in the war on drugs.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, monthly use
of illegal drugs has dropped by nearly 10 million users in the last 15
years; that represents a 50 percent drop in the percentage of the
population using drugs --12 percent to 6. During that same period, 4
million fewer people used cocaine monthly.

Most significantly, drug use among elementary and high-school kids -- which
was on the upswing in the early '90s -- now shows evidence of declining.

The Partnership for A Drug-free America observes that attitudes are
changing toward the most prevalent "gateway" drug, marijuana: Teenagers
report that marijuana is less prevalent in schools; users are no longer
seen as being "cool"; the belief that "most people will try marijuana
sometime" has dropped from 40 percent in 1998 to 35 percent this year.

And to what does the Partnership ascribe this turnaround?

First, it points out that the "just say no" message of the '80s began to
fade in the early '90s, as news of the Gulf War saturated the airwaves and
the presidential campaigns began. (We would also note that a certain
leading presidential candidate gave conflicting signals by admitting to
smoking pot -- but not to inhaling.)

Today, however, the signals are becoming more uniform.

Parents put peer pressure and drug use as the Nos. 1 and 2 problems facing
teenagers. In turn, teens cite the same -- except in reverse order. So,
surprisingly, parents and teens are on the same page. But teenagers also
note that the popular culture is beginning to reinforce some of the
"correct" behavior for a change: The view of drug use as a positive
activity in movies and popular music is fading (except, ironically enough,
in "period" pictures, where the stoners are often objects of derision).

This doesn't mean that the popular culture has suddenly gone stone-cold
sober. You can still go to rock or rap concert and smell plenty of pot.

The numbers demonstrate, however, that a balance does seem to be developing.

So where does that leave society? Clearly, bodies lying in graves just on
the other side of our southern border show that the war on drugs is as
deadly as ever.

But the greatest challenge in the drug war has always been on the demand
side -- and, in that respect, the latest numbers are most encouraging.

The nation has come a long way since the early '80s. Yes, it still has a
long way yet to go; but the current track is a positive one. Parents, the
media and the entertainment industry should be encouraged to continue
conveying -- and reporting -- the true facts.