White House Team

A CHOICE FOR DRUG CZAR

R. Gil Kerlikowske, the chief of the Seattle Police Department, was
chosen Wednesday to be the White House drug czar, signaling a shift in
emphasis from arrest and prosecution to intervention and treatment.

The selection of Mr. Kerlikowske, which had been expected, was
announced by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who said Mr.
Kerlikowske understood that "combating drugs requires a comprehensive
approach that includes enforcement, prevention and treatment."

If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Kerlikowske, 59, would become the
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as the drug
czar is formally known.

"The success of our efforts to reduce the flow of drugs is largely
dependent on our ability to reduce demand for them," Mr. Kerlikowske
said in a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

"Our nation's drug problem is one of human suffering," he said. "And
as a police officer, but also in my own family, I have experienced the
effects that drugs can have on our youth, our families and our
communities."

Mr. Kerlikowske's stepson, Jeffrey Kerlikowske, 39, has had several
drug-related brushes with the law.