REDUCING LOCAL DRUG SCOURGE

Across America, drug use has declined over the past three years. The 2004
Monitoring the Future study -- an ongoing survey of eighth, 10th and 12th
graders -- shows a 17 percent decrease in overall teenage drug use compared
to 2001. This translates into 600,000 fewer teens using illegal drugs today
than there were in 2001.

This positive trend is not the only good news in America. In major cities,
through innovative ideas of concerned citizens and determined leadership in
city governments, efforts to reduce drug use and crime are starting to pay
off. The study is just part of the story. The Office of National Drug
Control Policy recognizes that mobilizing the energy and expertise of
citizens and city officials at the local level is a powerful way to reduce
the drug problem nationwide. That is why in 2003, my office embarked on an
effort to engage more directly with officials and citizens in 25 of
America's largest cities.

The 25-Cities Initiative is helping to connect people from the prevention,
treatment, law-enforcement and education communities, groups that too often
operate independently of each other. It serves to harness the resources and
personal energies of those eager to take action. It aims to spark dialogue,
foster partnerships on all levels and create a network linking the various
sectors of the community. This, in turn, can open channels of communication
and allow the free flow of information, ideas and resources. It operates on
a simple principle: The more people understand a problem and the more they
work together, the greater their ability to solve it.

One of the 25-Cities mayors leading the charge is Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz,
who made reducing drug use one of his priorities. In his first State of the
City Address, he said, "The impact of drugs extends far beyond crime; it
affects the health of families and communities. Our goal must be to live in
a drug-free city."

In his 2004 State of the City Address, Diaz reported on Miami's progress
"on the challenge of creating a drug-free city" through Operation
Difference, a program created by Miami Police Chief John Timoney. Based on
a holistic approach to reducing the drug scourge in Miami, Operation
Difference aims at impacting the sale and distribution of narcotics in
Miami. Twice a month, operations take place in a targeted neighborhood.
Last November, an operation conducted under this program resulted in the
arrests of 53 people and the confiscation of drugs that had a $23,000
street value.

Keep An Eye On Schools

In early 2004, Diaz estimated that 70 percent of Miami homicides were
drug-related and that in some neighborhoods about 80 percent of crimes were
linked to drugs. In January 2005, Timoney reported that through police
strategies aimed at narcotics distribution and violence associated with the
drug trade, Miami saw a 9 percent drop in homicides and a 9 percent drop in
the overall crime rate from 2003 to 2004.

One way to continue is to identify drug-use patterns in every aspect of
life, especially in schools. Also, by establishing baseline data, the city
can determine whether there is a problem and, if so, what solution is
needed. This data will allow the 25-Cities Initiative and Miami Coalition
for a Safe and Drug Free Community to continue to collaborate on local
solutions to local problems. A city strategy for drug policy would provide
a blueprint for the integration of prevention, treatment and law
enforcement -- an action plan for what to do with the data gathered.

Diaz's commitment to reducing the drug problem in Miami and raising the
quality of life for its residents is commendable. The emphasis placed on
halting the distribution of drugs and the crime associated with this
phenomenon has proven to be successful. Couple this with prevention and
treatment, and Miami's dream of becoming a drug-free city is closer to
turning into reality.

John P. Walters is director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy. www.pushingback.com