ANTI-SMOKING BILL SHOULD ALSO BE ANTI-DRUG USE, GOP LEADERS SAY

WASHINGTON (AP) -- GOP Senate leaders say Congress should not pass a
tobacco bill unless it also addresses a far bigger problem among the
nation's kids: illicit drug use.

Frustrated by the pressing tobacco debate and by what they consider the
White House's ``deafening silence'' on illegal drug use, senior Senate
Republicans unveiled a proposal Wednesday that they will try to attach to
whatever tobacco bill comes to the floor.

``Tobacco is a health problem among teen-agers, and it must be addressed,''
said Senate GOP Conference Secretary Paul Coverdell, co-sponsoring the
amendment proposal with Policy Committee Chairman Larry Craig. ``But to do
so while you remain silent on what drug use is doing to teen-agers is
mind-boggling.''

The senators, joined by Assistant Majority Leader Don Nickles, said they
would spend $3 billion of the tobacco industry's money on anti-drug
education programs and for stepped-up enforcement of laws that ban
narcotics smuggling and laundering of drug money.

They cited published research showing that between 1991 and 1997, the
percentage of 10th graders who regularly used marijuana increased 135
percent. In the same time period, the percentage of 10th graders who
regularly smoked cigarettes increased 40 percent, the senators said.

Theirs was one of two tobacco-related pieces of legislation bills revealed
Wednesday in a Congress roiled with conflicting proposals.

A group of House Democrats and moderate Republicans sought to draw in more
GOP support with their bill to charge the tobacco industry approximately
$500 billion over 25 years and use more than half that amount to pay down
the nation's $5.5 trillion federal debt.

``I've never heard of cutting the national debt to be a liberal
challenge,'' said Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., co-sponsoring the bill with
Rep. James Hansen, R-Utah.

The sponsors hope their bill will gather momentum, but GOP leaders have not
embraced it so far. President Clinton offered qualified support for it
Wednesday.

A major drawback for both parties is the lack of money in the bill for
tobacco farmers, whose livelihoods would be threatened if demand for their
crops decreases.

``I look forward to working with them to insure that their legislation
adequately protects tobacco farmers,'' Clinton said.

The sponsors also released supportive statements from House Minority Leader
Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., and public health advocates C. Everett Koop, one-time
surgeon general, and David Kessler, former commissioner of the Food and
Drug Administration.

The bill would increase cigarette taxes by $1.50 over three years, grant
the industry no lawsuit protection and fine tobacco companies of the levels
of teen-age smoking did not decline by 80 percent over 10 years. The money
not used for the federal debt would go to the states and for programs to
stop young people from smoking.

The measure is among at least five proposals congressional leaders are
considering that aim to reduce teen-age smoking. Like the $368 billion
settlement the industry and states struck in June, several bills would
force companies to pay hefty fees and sharply curtail advertising. In
exchange, the tobacco industry wants protection from certain kinds of
lawsuits.

Only one bill, sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain,
has cleared a congressional committee. It would charge the industry $516
billion over 25 years and cap awards the industry would be forced to pay
plaintiffs at $6.5 billion annually. It would raise federal cigarette taxes
by $1.10 a pack by 2003.

Unlike the House's bipartisan bill, McCain's does not say how the
government should spend the industry's money.

Checked-by: Richard Lake