DRUG CZAR VISIT FOLLOWS ST. LOUIS CITY HALL BUST

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The timing was uncanny.

President Bush's drug czar was in St. Louis on Thursday sharing with city
leaders a federal plan to reduce drug use by 25 percent.

St. Louis, which has seen large jumps in cocaine, marijuana and narcotics
case the last few years, was the 14th of 25 stops for John Walters,
director of the National Drug Control Policy office. His visit came just
two days after a city employee was charged with selling crack cocaine from
a City Hall parking lot booth.

As a result, City Treasurer Larry Williams announced a new drug-testing
policy for his office.

"Employees who refuse to be tested when asked will be discharged," said
Williams, whose department oversees the city's parking division.

Williams said he asked the office's attorney to draft a new anti-drug
policy. It would allow for mandatory drug testing if an employee is
involved in a work-related accident, returns from an absence exceeding 30
days or "when there is a reasonable suspicion or belief that the employee
is or has been using illegal drugs or alcohol."

The new policy would make it very clear that employees cannot use or be in
possession of drugs while at work.

Police said part-time employee Dion Stovall had two grams of crack and
$1,595 in cash when they arrested him Tuesday. He has been placed on
indefinite unpaid suspension.

St. Louis got the federal drug czar's attention because of the increase in
drug-related incidents. Marijuana-related visits to the emergency room here
increased 232 percent from 1995 to 2002. Only Philadelphia and Detroit had
higher rates.

As he travels, Walters is reviewing efforts being made by metropolitan
areas to wipe out drug use. In St. Louis, at least $7 million in federal,
state and local funds is used to combat drug use.

The Walters visit came three weeks after more than 80 agencies that work
with St. Louis and St. Louis County on drug prevention met to figure out
the best way to reduce the region's drug problem.

Those from social service and law enforcement agencies and nonprofit groups
are sitting down with educators, politicians and health care providers to
figure out the best way to pool their resources.

Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley will chair
the coalition.

It's the second time this week that Slay and Dooley formally announced a
partnership. On Wednesday, the two said they were leading efforts to end
chronic homelessness in the area within 10 years. Many of the 3,000 labeled
as chronically homeless became that way in part because of a drug or
alcohol addiction.