"GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS MUST FIGHT ILLEGAL DRUGS"

Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey has released the 1999 National Drug Control
Strategy -- a long-term plan to reduce illegal drug use and its
consequences. The Strategy includes a detailed report of the nation's
drug abuse profile. The new Strategy maintains continuity with
previous national strategies and refines mid- and long-term targets
presented last year for reducing drug use and availability at least 50
percent by the year 2007. It also sets the target of reducing the
criminal consequences of drug abuse 30 percent or more, and health and
social consequences 25 percent or more by 2007. This Strategy will
serve us well for the next five years.

The 1999 Strategy provides a detailed update on the progress of our
anti-drug efforts. Drug use among twelve to seventeen-year-olds
declined slightly in 1997 and 1998. Drug-related deaths leveled off at
about 9,300 after climbing throughout the 1990s. Drug-related medical
emergencies remained near historic highs but were statistically
constant in 1997. The cost of illegal drug abuse is estimated at $110
billion, 64 percent higher than in 1990.

The federal government can only accomplish the objectives laid out in
this Strategy with the support from all fifty states as well as
thousands of city, county, and local governments when threatened by
illegal drugs. State governments in particular have enormous
leadership potential to address the drug problem. They administer the
school systems, exercise far-reaching jurisdictional power, channel
money and resources to specific needs, and educate citizens about the
dangers of illegal drugs. A partnership between national and state
governments is critical for our counterdrug efforts. In Tallahassee,
marijuana and cocaine are the drugs of choice. Crack and powder
cocaine are used in roughly equal proportions and are readily
available throughout Florida. Much of the cocaine comes from South
Florida. Much of the Colombian cocaine comes into the country through
Florida. Miami is a major port of entry; drugs are then transported to
Tallahassee by motor vehicle. Some cocaine processing labs have been
popping up in Florida. In addition to cocaine, an enormous amount of
heroin is coming into Florida. In the past five years, heroin-related
fatalities increased 385 percent, in part because of the high 90
percent purity level. Central Florida, unfortunately, is on track this
year to set all time records in heroin-related deaths. Many of those
killed by overdose are young people who thought they could experiment
safely with deadly drugs. The money laundering that has accompanied
the drug trade also presents an enormous problem.

Marijuana is coming into Florida primarily from Mexico. Dangerous
steroids have also become popular with the body-building crowd, and
designer drugs like Ecstasy, Ketamine, LSD, GHB, Royhpnol (a date-rape
drug), and methamphetamine have increased significantly, putting our
youth at greater jeopardy. The most alarming trend in this area is the
increased use of firearms by drug dealers. In addition to using these

weapons against law enforcement and regular citizens, the firearms are
being traded along with the drugs. It is heart-breaking to receive
letters from Florida parents whose children or grandchildren died from
drug overdoses or drug-related accidents -- as well as distraught
parents who have been visiting their children in prison following
convictions for drug trafficking.

Federal and state authorities are fighting back with the drug squad in
the Tallahassee Operations Center closely supported by the newly
opened Drug Enforcement Administration task force. The majority of
narcotics cases in this area are multi-agency operations.

Governor Jeb Bush has provided enormous leadership focus to the drug
issue. Mayor Scott Maddox has also helped to unify the efforts of the
anti-drug community coalitions, drug treatment centers, drug courts
that offer treatment as an alternative to incarceration for nonviolent
offenders, and school-based prevention programs. The Weed and Seed
program of the Tallahassee Police Department was first funded in 1996.
Community oriented policing has made a big difference, and the
progress made in public housing areas in areas where young people
predominate is a source of pride for everyone concerned. Camp Riley
has meant a lot to children, and the Tallahassee Democrat enhanced the
writing skills -- as well as general life skills -- of youngsters whom
the paper adopted for summer programs. We must reach young people
before they try drugs and convince them never to start. To this end,
Florida received $173 million in Byrne Grants and other anti-drug
funding in 1998. The federal government will help in every way
possible. However, we know that the heavy lifting is ultimately done
on the state level.

Above all, parents, teachers, clergy, couches, youth leaders, and
health-care professionals are helping adolescents on a daily basis to
stay away from drugs. The federal drug effort must join Florida to
decrease drug abuse and its horrific consequences. The nation can
learn a great deal about courage and perseverance from the anti-drug
efforts of Florida.