GOOD NEWS IN THE DRUG WAR

Big victories in the drug war are seldom big news. Good news violates the
old adage that "what bleeds leads," especially in competitive nightly news.
But there is good news and it needs airing. It also leads to next steps.

You know, drug war stories are like castor oil. They might be good for you,
but they are no fun to read. Yes, drug overdoses ended 20,000 young lives
in 2003, crushing dreams, leaving gaping holes in families, schools and
communities. But that stuff hurts to read. Don't you flip past that to the
far away news?

Yes, drugs fund terrorism from Colombia to Afghanistan, but we are on that,
aren't we? Surely that stuff is being handled by state and federal law
enforcement. Do we have to be reminded -- again -- that we live in the
midst of hidden dangers? Who needs that? Where's the sports page?

Slow down. Here are some facts for parents, grandparents, teachers, policy
makers and the newsroom -- and then some good news. First, talking with
kids -- even if it's a bit awkward -- about what you are about to read
could save them -- or a friend.

Second, drug purities are outrageously high. Not long ago, heroin was 7
percent pure across the country. Today, it is between 70 and 90 percent --
everywhere. Emergency rooms are awash. A teen caught unaware and convinced
to try it may not get a second chance. No kidding. Heroin can be popped,
smoked, snorted or injected. They call it opium and other seductive names.

Ask your son or daughter if they know it can kill with one use. Have they
seen it on school grounds, going, coming? Ever seen ecstasy, E, or
butterfly? How about cocaine, or prescription drugs like oxycontin? Ask if
they know marijuana is often laced with PCP. Know who the sellers are?
You'll be surprised what they know. At some point, most kids are
approached. The number one reason most say no -- is you.

Ok, so what about methamphetamine, or meth? You know about meth, right? If
you don't, you are behind the times. One in 20 kids has tried it. Addiction
rates are rising. In 16 states, there are now more kids in treatment for
meth than either cocaine or heroin.

The East Coast is getting hit by a major wave of trafficking that started
in California a decade ago, led by Mexican "super labs" and cheap
ingredients. Those are (you knew this) over-the-counter pseudo-ephedrine
and ephedrine. Rapid increases in use are being recorded in Illinois,
Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, but Virginia, Maryland and the District of
Colombia are vulnerable.

Meth purities doubled over the past decade. It is now 70 percent in many
cities. Not many second chances there. A few dollars will buy enough meth
for addiction; $25 dollars will buy several "rocks." Like the heroin, meth
takes over, masked by increasing secrecy, kicking the unwitting teen into
an abyss from which climbing out is often harder than escaping heroin
addiction.

Down with that user goes her family -- parents and siblings, or children of
the addict. From there radiate widening circles of pain. Yes, even "good
kids" from "good families" get caught -- by the thousands. In major cities,
between a quarter and a third of all arrestees test positive for meth.

Simple use induces unparalleled violence and depravity, as previous values
get left curbside. Brain damage -- ugly stuff -- accompanies chronic use.
That condition looks like Alzheimer's. Half of all states now consider meth
the number one drug threat to kids. So, ask your son or daughter if they
have ever heard talk of ice, speed, chalk, crystal, crank, glass, fire or
poor man's cocaine. That's all meth.

So where's the good news? Well, this summer, the Senate Judiciary Committee
finally approved -- with administration support -- a thorough-going
anti-methamphetamine bill. This is more than talk.

While leaving tough state drug laws in place, the bill puts meth's primary
ingredients -- pseudo-ephedrine and ephedrine -- behind the counter. It
takes away easy access to these ingredients for those who were using them,
and that is a big, good news story for kids, parents and families, not to
mention law enforcement.

The next step is simple. If we apply international pressure to the
ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine producers in India, China, the Czech
Republic and Germany -- there are only nine -- we might be able to stop at
the source a major scourge. Of course, that's another good news story you
won't hear. But it is worth trying all the same. Now, back to the sports page.