MCCAFFREY STILL DOWN ON DUTCH

Drugs: He criticizes a new program, designed to keep addicts off the street,
that offers free herion, housing and other services.

Washington- The Clinton administration's drug policy director Monday
criticized a heroin distribution program in the Netherlands, even after his
disapproving statements over that nations's drug policy angered the Dutch
government last week.

The recent uproar over retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey's attacks on
liberal Dutch drug policy as an "unmitigated disaster" put him on the
defensive during his recent eight-day European tour, which included visits
to prevention centers in the Netherlands. But in a news conference Monday,
McCaffrey criticized the Dutch government for providing heroin to addicts.

McCaffrey said the program would commit "part of the population to suffering
endlessly from heroin."

The Netherlands, which allows the sale of limited amounts of marijuana,
started the program for heroin addicts July 1. The program provides a heroin
injection or an injection or an inhalable tablet for addicts, plus money for
housing or other services.

The heroin program, similar to one used in Switzerland, is intended to keep
crime down and addicts off the street, according to Robert Housman of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, which McCaffrey directs.

While attacking the heroin program and the marijuana sales, McCaffrey
praised the Netherlands' extensive treatment and outreach programs, which
reach an estimated 70 percent of heroin addicts.

The Netherlands has been effective in using counseling and drug treatments,
such as methadone, to combat heroin addiction.

McCaffrey said methadone should be one of the principal methods for reducing
heroin addiction in this country. He added that it was one of the ways "to
get people to go back to work, back into their families and reduce the
consequences."

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett