DRUG CZAR BLASTS TREATMENT OPTION

Ohio Voters Urged to Reject Proposal

COLUMBUS - U.S. drug czar John Walters toured a halfway house yesterday to
make his case against Issue 1, but he faced questions about the need for
more federal funds and better research to help criminals who have abused
drugs and alcohol re-enter society.

During a meeting at Alvis House - which also has a program in Toledo -
state prison director Reginald Wilkinson told Mr. Walters that 640,000
inmates nationwide are released each year, and 80 percent have abused drugs
and alcohol; Ohio releases about 20,000 inmates per year.

"There hasn't been the kind of funding to handle the kind of monumental
problem we have in just providing substance abuse treatment, and that's not
even including the people who have mental health problems or who are sex
offenders. You can't just treat one thing and think that person will
benefit," Mr. Wilkinson said.

Mr. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy, said the federal government relies on states to manage treatment
programs.

"We've gone from surpluses to deficits, and there are always competing
needs," Mr. Walters told Mr. Wilkinson, referring to the federal budget.

At a news conference later, Mr. Walters blasted Issue 1 as a
"command-and-control ballot initiative" that would weaken the ability of
society to use "compassionate coercion" to help nonviolent drug offenders.

Issue 1 would amend Ohio's Constitution to make treatment an option for
nonviolent first and second-time drug offenders. Drug traffickers, violent
offenders, or those operating a motor vehicle under the influence of
alcohol or drugs would not be eligible.

"Americans have been told, in too many cases by people who have a political
agenda, that our prisons are full of low-level, nonviolent drug offenders,"
said Mr. Walters. "That's not true. It's not true here and it's not true in
other places."

Nationwide, about 20 percent of inmates are locked up for drug crimes, most
of them for trafficking, he added.

Mr. Walters said drug addiction is not like needing an operation for
appendicitis.

"Part of this disease is denial. The reason the criminal justice system is
so important to have proportionate sanctions as well as a channel for help
is it makes people face this problem of denial," he said.

The nation needs to do a better of combating marijuana use among teenagers.

He said an estimated 6 million Americans need or could benefit from drug
treatment from ages 12 and up - and 23 percent are teenagers. Of that
total, 60 percent are "dependent" on marijuana, he said.

Ed Orlett, director of the pro-Issue 1 group the Ohio Campaign for New Drug
Policies, doubted whether Congress would approve President Bush's proposal
to boost federal spending on drug treatment programs by $1.6 billion over
the next five years. The federal government is spending about $3.8 billion
this fiscal year, Mr. Walters said. "Unless Issue 1 passes, it's unlikely
we 'll be able to expand adult drug courts in this state in the forseeable
future."

Mr. Orlett said Issue 1 would require regular drug testing of offenders
receiving treatment and judges could send them to jail after two relapses.
He also questioned Mr. Walters' emphasis on anti-marijuana efforts.

"Marijuana offenders do not end up with a felony record. They don't go to
prison, and they don't have difficulty in getting a job or a student loan.
They're not prohibited from going to work for anyplace in the government,
unlike those who use crack cocaine or powder, or heroin," he said.