OPED: IS U.S. DRUG STRATEGY FINALLY SHIFTING TO REDUCING DEMAND?

A recent KnightRidder newswire article entitled, "U.S. Strategy on Drug
Certification is Changing," suggests that the Clinton administration may
drop the controversial "certification process" with foreign countries. This
could create the first serious rift in the bipartisan support for our
government's twentyfiveyearold drug war policy.

Mexico's President Ernesto Zedillo was highly critical of the U.S.
certification process and questioned Washington's moral authority to judge
other nations when U.S. demand for drugs corrupts Mexico's institutions.
"They should indemnify us for the filthy mess they leave us," he said in
the article.

On his recent visit to Mexico, President Clinton acknowledged America's
appalling drug problem when he told his audience, "...with less than five
percent of the world's population, the United States consumes nearly half
of the world's illicit drugs." But the President has never come forth and
voiced this admission to the American people here at home.

Consequently, an uninformed public continues to applaud a drug war that is
clearly a fraud. This policy has created the largest criminal empire the
world has ever known and hasn't reduced illegal drug use one scintilla.

The vested interests of the antidrug bureaucrats in Washington prompts
them to lobby for the status quo. They ignore the failure of their war on
drugs and similar attempts in American history. (Attacking the supply of
drugs in source countries began in 1905 with Teddy Roosevelt when he failed
to stop opium smuggling to the Philippines.)

Escalating the War on Drugs has not eradicated the glut of illicit drugs
overflowing into America's streets, making prohibition totally irrelevant.
When will a White House correspondent publicly ask "Mr. President, can
you show us even one addict that has been forced to give up his habit for a
lack of illegal drugs to buy?"

Regaining Control

The federal government has lost control of drugs in America. Prohibition
has failed to control drugs as was the case with alcohol in the "Roaring
20s". Children sell drugs to other children on the school yard. Drug
dealers have shootouts in our neighborhoods for turf rights. Drug
trafficking kills over 10,000 Americans annually and illegal profits
corrupt every institution in the nation. The federal government insists the
drug war is necessary to save our children, yet drugs have destroyed the
young in America's innercities.

The legacy of drug prohibition has been crime, violence, guns and
corruption. We have greater drug use today than when all drugs were legal
and very available.

Research for my recently published book, "The Enemy Is Us: How to Defeat
Drug Abuse and End the War on Drugs," reveals that before drug prohibition
in 1920, narcotic addiction ratios were declining for two decades and drug
crime was negligible. Today, addiction ratios are three times greater and
crime has exploded. Yet, President Clinton says he "...will continue to
resist all calls for legislation."

Why defend drug prohibition when is has never worked? There is abundant
empirical evidence that suggests drugs can be taxed and controlled more
effectively in a legitimate privatesector market. The states could then
regulate the who, how, where and when of drug sales and consumption, just
like alcohol and tobacco.

Prevention and Treatment

General Barry McCaffrey, America's drug czar, is showing some reservations
about the U.S. drug agency's ability to eradicate the cocaine and heroin
supply with military force. He would give priority to reducing the demand
for drugs over attacking drug supplies. McCaffrey proposes an antidrug
media campaign that would warn children about drug risks. This new
initiative as well as community treatment and rehabilitation programs
does not need a war. It would work best in a nonviolent legitimate drug
market.

Drug treatment programs are twenty times more cost effective than
suppressing supply, according to a study by the Rand Corporation. For
example, national public health campaigns warning that cigarette smoking
causes cancer have been highly effective over the years. On a state level,
California's $28 million antismoking TV campaign that aired from 1990
through 1991 significantly increased the rate at which California smokers
quit.

The American people can regain control of drugs in America by demanding a
complete repeal of drug prohibition and concentrating on reduction in
demand. This will help eradicate the entire illegal drug enterprise
cartels, drug lords and drug dealers. Moreover, our children will no longer
be enticed into drug use by juveniles in drug gangs. Yes, the American
family needs to be rejuvenated but first, we must stop this violent drug
war, bind our wounds, and stop the bleeding.

Robert H. Dowd, Lieutenant Colonel, USAFRet.
Author, "The Enemy Is UsHow to Defeat Drug
Abuse and End the War on Drugs"

CONTACT: Robert H. Dowd, 305/6661780