7 STATES, D.C. LOSE GRANTS FOR FAILING TO CUT TEEN SMOKING

WASHINGTON - Seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia will lose
federal funding for drug-abuse treatment because they have failed to
curtail teenage smoking.

Specifically, the state governments failed to meet goals set out by
Congress in a 1992 law that required states to ban tobacco sales to
anyone under the age of 18, and to enforce the laws with surprise
inspections. As a result, the governments were told this week they
would have to pay back about $37-million (all figures US) in grants.

The Clinton administration wasted little time yesterday in criticizing
the bill, which was introduced under the Bush administration, saying
it unfairly punished those who most needed help.

"Some heroin addicts might be forced back on the streets to return to
criminal life," said Barry McCaffrey, the White House drug-control
director. Mr. McCaffrey called on Congress to reduce the penalties.

The law forces the administration to cut back 40% of its federal
funding to states and the District of Columbia for drug-treatment
programs if there are not significant steps made to reduce teenage
smoking.

Most of its provisions include steps such as surprise inspections at
corner stores and places where there are unattended cigarette machines.

Missouri and Minnesota disputed that they violated the law, insisting
they had met the goals. They argued that a cut in funding would hurt
those least able to take care of themselves as well as undermining the
program itself.

"In the area of prevention, it would limit the amount of dollars
available to work with communities to deal with issues of selling
tobacco to minors, which gets right at the heart of the issue," said
Michael Couty, director of the alcohol and drug abuse division of the
Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Missouri would lose about $9.6-million, something Mr. Couty said would
affect everything from treatment for pregnant crack cocaine addicts to
housing for addicted kids.

Officials in Missouri blamed poor enforcement on inaccurate reporting
by local law enforcement whose attention is consumed by an explosion
in methamphetamine manufacturing.

But the agency charged with enforcing the law insisted it had not
choice to put the states and Washington D.C. on notice.

"Congress passed a law, and it is our job to enforce that law," said
Mark Weber, spokesman for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration. "You'll find that everyone is in favour of
the goals and what the law has accomplished. What you're finding
disagreement with is the harshness of the penalty."

Mr. Weber said the national failure rate -- which translates into the
number of stores found to be illegally selling cigarettes -- has
fallen to 25% from 60% when the law was enacted.

"This program has had tremendous success in reducing youth access to
tobacco," he said.

Interestingly, the federal health services administration recently put
out a report saying that funding for drug abuse treatment will have to
rise by 57% over the next 20 years to meet an expected increase in
addictive drug use.

The seven states -- which also include Delaware, Iowa, Oregon, Rhode
Island and Wyoming -- and Washington have the right to a hearing
before the funding is hauled out of next year's budgets or paid back
from the 1999 programs.