EXPERTS: BUSH MUST LOOK TO DOMESTIC DRUG TRAFFIC

President Bush vowed to fight North Korea's involvement in drug
distribution last week, but experts say the administration needs to focus
on the increase in domestic drug manufacturing.

President Bush addressed North Korea's involvement with methamphetamine and
heroin trafficking to East Asian countries in a U.S. government report
released last week.

He also cited 22 other countries, including Afghanistan and China, as drug
trafficking and manufacturing hubs.

While there is proof of North Korea's involvement in the distribution of
drugs, there is no evidence that the country has produced them within its
borders. With this instability surrounding Bush's claims, experts say, his
focus should shift to his home turf's war against drugs.

In the United States, finding those manufacturing the drugs seems to be the
primary concern, said Darrell Rogers, national director of Students for
Sensible Drug Policy.

"In the U.S., methamphetamine is primarily not imported but produced within
the borders, like marijuana," he said. "Heroin is growing in accessibility
while its potency is rising and price is dropping."

U.S. policy for drug use and trafficking is based on law enforcement,
treatment, interdiction and prevention. Rogers estimated that law
enforcement intercepts 10 percent of incoming drugs and inspects 2 percent
of incoming cargo.

Rogers said that experts are aware of these facts but that they seem to
look past them.

"Even with completely sealed borders, the in-home production of these drugs
would increase and the climate required for them to succeed and reach the
consumers would evolve," said William McColl, director of national affairs
for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Rogers added that "trying to stop the supply of a product where demand
exists is futile -- people will find a way to satisfy their demand."

Even if there were a complete focus on domestic drug traffic, the problem
could not be eliminated completely, he said.

Rogers said law enforcement tries to balance between investigating the
importation of drugs and internal drug production.

He said this fact justifies Bush's foreign focus because he can institute
the same level of prevention in the foreign areas mentioned in his report
without compromising the level of domestic support.

There also is the notion that drug trafficking in the United States is an
underground market that is extremely difficult to monitor, said Martin
Iguchi, director of the Drug Policy Research Center at the RAND Institute.

Iguchi said the nature of the drug market keeps law enforcement at a
distance from illegal activity and forces officials to find alternate
solutions to end the war on drugs.

McColl said that the country's drug war cannot be fought on the front lines
and that it should start from the bottom up.

"I believe it would be more beneficial to focus on education and
rehabilitation rather than our limited ability to enforce drug laws."

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