DRUG CZAR REBUTS JOHNSON'S STANCE

SANTA FE -- The country's top drug fighter has told Gov. Gary Johnson that
drug legalization is "at odds with the views of the American people" and
urged him to reconsider his attack on national policy.

Barry McCaffrey, a retired U.S. Army general who heads the Office of
National Drug Control Policy, challenged Johnson's claim that the drug war
has failed and reminded him that governors play an important role in
combating drug use.

"Your publicly stated opinions seem to espouse what could be viewed as a
drug-legalization agenda that would be inconsistent with the goals of our
national strategy and at odds with the view of the American people,"
McCaffrey wrote to Johnson in a four-page letter released by the drug chief
Tuesday.

"With all due respect, I would encourage you to re-examine this issue,"
wrote McCaffrey, who was appointed to the drug czar post by President
Clinton in 1996.

Johnson, a Republican, has appeared on national television programs in
recent weeks in an effort to spark a national debate on drug policy,
including possible decriminalization or legalization of certain drugs.

Johnson has admitted to using marijuana and cocaine in college, but said he
hasn't used drugs since his early 20s and stopped drinking alcohol 12 years
ago. An avid triathlete, the 46-year-old governor says he is not condoning
drug use, which he calls a "bad choice."

Through a spokeswoman, Johnson said Tuesday he will continue to push for a
national drug debate, despite McCaffrey's letter.

"We both have the same goal of reducing drug use, but we want to go about
achieving that goal differently," Johnson said. "I believe you can't lock
up the nation to do it."

While McCaffrey's letter says most Americans are opposed to relaxing drug
laws, Johnson has received mostly positive correspondence from the public
in connection with his views, said his spokeswoman, Diane Kinderwater.

Rob Housman, a spokesman for McCaffrey, said Johnson's national media
exposure has turned him into "the poster child for drug legalization in the
U.S." He said Johnson is sending a bad message to kids.

"It doesn't matter if you call it legalization or decriminalization, it's
still irresponsible," Housman said. "If you make these substances (legally)
available in the United States, it means more kids will get them."

Housman said Johnson's assertion that the national drug war has failed is
"nonsense."

A national study completed last year found that youth drug use has declined
by 13 percent and cocaine use among all Americans has declined by almost 70
percent since 1985, according to McCaffrey's letter to Johnson.

"Our societywide efforts are clearly taking effect," McCaffrey said.

Although Johnson's public calls for a drug debate have slowed since August,
he has by no means abandoned his push for a national debate, Kinderwater said.

Johnson is scheduled to be the keynote speaker next month at a drug-policy
conference hosted by the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank
in Washington, D.C.

"All the information that he has received has just reinforced his position
that our war (on drugs) is failing," Kinderwater said. "The governor is
more encouraged than ever to proceed with this."

State Republican Party Chairman John Dendahl said Tuesday that McCaffrey's
letter does not seem politically motivated.

"Let's give the general the benefit of the doubt and say he's doing exactly
what the governor invited, and that's joining in the debate," Dendahl said.