DRUG CZAR ADVOCATES EDUCATION, PREVENTION

Three Arizona non-profit organizations received federal funding
yesterday to institute programs to combat youth drug abuse, said U.S.
Drug Czar John P. Walters in a press conference downtown at the Tucson
Indian Center yesterday.

Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control
policy, said the grants will fund programs for junior high school and
high school students, specifically American Indians and Latinos.

"Those who don't use when they are younger are less likely to use when
they get to college and are much less likely to have a very abusive
habit," said Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., who also spoke at the press conference.

Pima Youth Partnership, Kino Weed and Seed and the El Centro Coalition
were awarded the $100,000 in grant money.

The money from the grants will help establish the Drug Free
Communities Program, which will work to keep youth away from drugs and
alcohol by focusing curriculum around prevention, treatment and education.

"Talk to people about what is working. For those who think it's
hopeless, it is working," Walters said.

The program will advocate prevention and how to keep youth from
becoming addicted, he said.

"The key is to prevent another generation from being lost to drugs,"
Kolbe said.

Kolbe said nationwide surveys have shown a significant decline in drug
use among youth, thanks in part to the instillation of these types of
prevention programs.

"If you keep teenagers from being exposed to drugs, alcohol,
cigarettes, they will be very less likely to use in the future," said
Tom Donovan, executive director of the El Centro Coalition, who also
spoke at the press conference.

Robert Ybanez, chairman of the Pima Youth Partnership, said he has
been working closely with members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe on the
reservation to develop a program to battle alcohol and drug use and
violence.

In 2003, 56 percent of youth on the reservation were drug abusers and
40 percent of adults were drug users, Ybanez said.

He said the percentage of American Indians who use drugs is higher
than state and national percentages.

"Without prevention (the marijuana and alcohol) use will escalate to
crystal meth, crack cocaine and heroin use," Ybanez said.

Kolbe said the grants do not directly affect UA students but will
prevent youth from wanting to do drugs in the future.

"If you can prevent it from happening in the first place you can break
the cycle," Kolbe said.

El Centro Coalition works with Hispanic youth in Tucson and sets up a
forum for discussion on drug prevention strategies.

"(We will) eliminate or reduce alcohol use in west side youth and in
time work with adults," Donovan said.

"We are building stronger families and community norms that say, no
it's not OK to use drugs," Donovan said.

Donovan said the best people to advise users are former
users.

"People who have suffered from drug abuse are the most generous,"
Donovan said.

Donovan said marijuana is being greatly abused by youth and is the
biggest reason people enter treatment facilities.

"More young people are smoking marijuana than cigarettes and
two-thirds of people [in treatment] in this country are in treatment
for marijuana," Donovan said.

The El Centro Coalition is also working with Congress to allow random
drug testing in schools.

"It is controversial, but it is used to get young people help,"
Donovan said.

He said instituting a random drug-testing program in schools is
necessary to help students avoid using drugs.

"It changes the environment by bringing in truth. It creates a new
environment where the community says we're not going to let this happen
under our noses," Donovan said.