WHITE HOUSE DRUG CZAR ADDRESSES SOUTHWEST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING

White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey discussed his drug control
strategy and his plans to curb drug trafficking in the Southwest
border region before a packed crowd in Bass Lecture Hall Monday.

White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey discusses his plan before an
audience at Bass Concert Hall Monday afternoon.

The four-star general -- appointed director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy in 1996 -- is a member of President Bill Clinton's
cabinet, the President's Drug Policy Council and the National Security
Council.

Prior to his current position, he served as commander-in-chief of the
U.S. Armed Forces Southern Command, coordinating national security
operations in Latin America.

McCaffrey said the central component of his strategy is to educate and
to prevent American youths from involving themselves in alcohol,
tobacco and illegal drugs.

"That doesn't mean just an anti-drug message," he said. "There's
really a bigger challenge than that, and it's 'Do kids have positive
mentored alternatives in life?'"

He added that he does not view the drug problem as a national problem
but as a series of community drug epidemics.

"So at the end of the day, it's community coalitions, it's educators,
parents, pediatricians, religious leaders -- it's local leadership
that's going to do something about this problem," McCaffrey said.

He added that his prevention education strategy will "result
inexorably in grinding down the rates of drug abuse."

McCaffrey said Texas, as well as the nation, should be combating the
threat of drug abuse among children.

"I think ... basically, Texas is doing a tremendous amount of well
thought-out prevention education and treatment activities and a lot of
good law enforcement coordination," he said. "And it's going to
require a real determined effort for the next 10 years ... but I think
Texas is moving in the right direction."

McCaffrey will travel to El Paso after his Austin visit to discuss
efforts to limit the flow of drugs in the Southwest border region.

He said he will also meet with Mexican leadership to discuss curbing
drug traffic, adding that he wants to promote cooperation, not
conflict, with Mexico.

"Trade is just skyrocketing between the two nations, and we like
that," McCaffrey said. "We're getting jobs on both sides of the
border, but at the same time, we've got to find some way to work with
Mexico. Mexico's in the middle of a revolution."

He said the country is expanding their trading market as well as
making the difficult transition to a multi-party political system, and
the U.S. needs to assist them for about the next 15 years.

McCaffrey said there needs to be an increase in technology and
resources to borders to help fight the drug dilemma.

But audience reaction to McCaffrey's lecture was mixed.

Janine Toth, who will be a student at the LBJ School of Public
Affairs, said she thought the lecture was "soft."

"I don't think it was substantive at all," she said, adding that
McCaffrey did not truly answer the questions people posed.

Erik Markette, an Austin resident, said while he was glad he attended,
McCaffrey was too vague. "I don't think he explained a thing," he said.

But Carmen Donohue, another incoming LBJ School student, said she
learned a great deal, especially because she knew little about drug
policy prior to his speech.

She added that though his lecture was general, his audience was broad,
and it was necessary for him to speak in broad terms.

"I think that he tried to address the questions asked of him, but how
can one in a five-minute Q-and-A period because the answers are very
complex," she said.

Joe Wiese, director of the office of prevention for the Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, said McCaffrey is courageous,
articulate and unafraid to stand up for his beliefs.

"Whether you agree with him or not, you can't deny that he's a
champion for the cause and what he believes in," he said.