PDFA CAN'T COMPETE WITH ALCOHOL PROMOTION

To the Editor:

A June 2 editorial advocating an amendment that would include alcohol in the
Government's anti-drug campaign misses the essence of our concerns.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America wholeheartedly supports the concept
of a national advertising campaign aimed at underage drinking. You can focus
on illegal drug use with advertising. Backed by the proper research, you can
do the same for underage drinking.

But you cannot do both effectively with the current Federal appropriation.
That's the issue. The Government's anti-drug campaign is backed by $195
million in Federal money. The alcohol industry spends billions on marketing
and promotion each year. To compete effectively, the Government would
require hundreds of millions more to change teen-age attitudes about drinking.

WILLIAM J. BENNETT MARIO M. CUOMO

New York, June 4, 1999

The writers are co-chairmen of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.