Author: DON HENRY

THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS IS URGING THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS TO REDESIGN THE WAR ON DRUGS BASED ON WHAT
WORKS, NOT ON WHAT SOUNDS GOOD. VOA SENIOR CORRESPONDENT DON HENRY
REPORTS A FORMER TOP GOVERNMENT SCIENTIST TOLD A WASHINGTON NEWS
CONFERENCE (TODAY) POLICY SHOULD BE DRIVEN BY FACTS AND NOT RHETORIC.

CHARLES SCHUSTER, LEADING DRUG ABUSE EXPERT DURING THE REAGAN AND BUSH
ADMINISTRATIONS, TOLD REPORTERS US DRUG POLICY IS INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE
IT IS BASED LARGELY ON POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE SAYS THE
GOAL OF THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS IS TO PERSUADE POLITICIANS
TO FORGET IDEOLOGY AND LET SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DO THE TALKING.

FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAYS THE ONLY OBVIOUS OUTCOME OF TOUGHER PRISON TERMS
FOR DRUG TRAFFICKERS IS THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL FOR LONGER
DURATIONS. HE SAYS THERE ARE NO DATA TO SUGGEST THAT HARSHER SENTENCING
LAWS ARE HELPING TO REDUCE THE DRUG SUPPLY ON AMERICAN STREETS OR
OTHERWISE CUTTING DRUG USE.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY STRONG EVIDENCE THAT INCREASING THE

LENGTH OF TIME THAT DRUG TRAFFICKERS ARE PUT INTO JAIL
WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE DRUG ABUSE IN THE UNITED
STATES. THERE'S NO DATA ABOUT THAT. YET IT IS
POLITICALLY VERY, VERY APPEALING TO SAY: "I'M GETTING
TOUGHER ON THESE SCOUNDRELS."

PROFESSOR SCHUSTER, A PSYCHOLOGIST, NOW COORDINATES SUBSTANCE ABUSE
RESEARCH AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN MICHIGAN. HE
SAYS TREATMENT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING DRUG ABUSE,
BUT RARELY IS MAINTAINED LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE TOTAL ABSTINENCE FROM
DRUGS.

HE COMPLAINED THAT CRITICS OF DEMAND REDUCTION EFFORTS MEASURE
TREATMENT PROGRAMS BY AN UNREALISTIC STANDARD.

IN EVERY OTHER BRANCH OF MEDICINE THAT I KNOW OF, IF WE
COULD GET A 75 PER CENT REDUCTION IN SYMPTOMS BY
INTERVENTION, WE WOULD BE ELATED. IF WE GET A 75 PER
CENT DECREASE IN THE USE OF COCAINE IN A CLIENT, PEOPLE
SAY: "OH, YOU FAILED. I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL USING
COCAINE."

PROFESSOR SCHUSTER IS AMONG 34 SCIENTISTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS,
AND PUBLIC POLICY EXPERTS WHO HAVE ENDORSED THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN
SCIENTISTS' CALL FOR A DIFFERENT COUNTER NARCOTICS BLUEPRINT.

THEY SAY NEITHER THE CAMPAIGN FOR LEGALIZATION AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON
THE ONE HAND OR AN UNRELENTING WAR ON DRUG TRAFFICKING ON THE OTHER CAN
END THE DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM.

THEY SAY LEGALIZATION WOULD PROBABLY LEAD TO GREATER USE OF DRUGS. THEY
ADD THAT INTENSIVE GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO CUT THE SUPPLY OF ILLEGAL DRUGS
ON AMERICAN STREETS HAVE HAD LITTLE, IF ANY, IMPACT OF THE AVAILABILITY
OF ILLICIT DRUGS.

THAT WOULD APPEAR TO LEAVE ONLY TREATMENT AND PREVENTION AS EFFECTIVE
TACTICS, BUT PROFESSOR SCHUSTER SAID THE SCIENTISTS ARE NOT PUSHING FOR
ANY ONE STRATEGY ALTHOUGH HE SPOKE MOST FAVORABLY ABOUT THE PROSPECTS
FOR TREATMENT.

INSTEAD, HE SAID, THEY ARE URGING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO PUT DRUG WAR
MONEY INTO FINDING OUT, AND THEN SUPPORTING, WHAT WORKS ON BOTH THE
SUPPLY OR DEMAND REDUCTION SIDES. WHAT DOES NOT WORK, THE SCIENTISTS
AGREED, IS A STEADY STREAM OF DRUG WAR SLOGANS COMING FROM THE HALLS OF
CONGRESS.

Source: Voice of America