ANTI-DRUG EFFORT COULD GENERATE FUNDING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Conference Surveys Good And Bad News On Illicit Substances

Success In Fighting Illegal Cultivation Is Tempered By Statistics Showing
Increased Use

Lebanon's efforts to fight drug cultivation and production could pull in
much-needed international funding for development, although the country
faces sobering new statistics about the rise in drug use, particularly
among young people.

The good and bad news was heard by participants at a conference on Tuesday,
held by the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) and the
Institute for Development and Applied Care (IDAC).

Conference speakers hailed the government's efforts to combat drugs and
revealed a plan to curb demand for illegal substances within a five-year
period beginning in 2003.

A Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) study on drug abuse commissioned by the
ODCCP and carried out under the auspices of the IDAC revealed disturbing
numbers on illegal drug use among youth and created the impetus for the
formulation of the plan. The study showed that drug use is growing among
young people, with high school-age students exposed to drugs such as
ecstasy and tranquilizers.

Speaking on behalf of Interior Minister Elias Murr, judicial police
commander Colonel Samir Sobh said that "when drugs are concerned, there can
be no compromises and no easing up, because we cannot compromise on the
killing of youth and endangering our society."

"Our decision is clear and final: We will make 2002 the year of eradicating
drugs in Lebanon and regardless of the sacrifices, we will not back away
from our decision to pursue those who farm, manufacture, and distribute
illegal drugs," Sobh said.

The commander added that last year's arrest of 1,500 suspected drug dealers
"is one of the highest numbers in the history of Lebanon."

Sobh praised the widely publicized destruction of 10 million square meters
of marijuana and poppy plants in the country. According to Mehdi Ali, ODCCP
regional representative for the Middle East and North Africa, "the
determined and well-organized efforts of the Interior Ministry's Central
Bureau for Drug Enforcement and the various security forces involved in
eradicating the farming, manufacturing and distribution of illicit drugs
have gained international and UN acclaim."

Ali stressed, however, that efforts to combat the drug problem are doomed
to fail unless the issues of supply and demand are tackled.

He said the organization had already contributed $6.5 million on
alternative development programs and expressed hope that other donor
countries will participate in a new program aimed at replacing drug
cultivation and trade while dealing with their social side-effects.

Ali added that curbing demand is an ongoing effort between the Interior,
Health and Social Affairs Ministries as well as nongovernment organizations.

He said the Interior Ministry had the responsibility of "reducing demand
through a wide awareness campaign, facilitating the work of NGOs and
providing essential statistics to facilitate the RSA study on demand
reduction."

Abdool Reychad of the UN's ODCCP said the methodology of the RSA findings
combined qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques.

"We construct hypotheses to arrive at the nature of the crimes and the
patterns of behavior and the related social, health, professional and
familial factors, which allow us to generate an accurate picture for policy
makers," Reychad added.

Ali said the ODCCP plan tackling demand reduction will strive for concrete
results by 2008 "and will put Lebanon at the forefront of countries" that
have abided by UN resolutions supporting international cooperation in
fighting drugs.

Abiding by the resolutions will reinforce Lebanon's position in the
international community and may prompt donor countries to give more aid, he
continued.

The plan includes awareness strategies concerning social problems leading
to drug use along with rehabilitation and treatment issues. He added that
Murr's resolve had contained the problem, "but we (must) thank President
Emile Lahoud and Prime Minster Rafik Hariri for their full support and
efforts that will benefit the youth of this country."

Ali later told The Daily Star he was "tired of the accusations that UN
programs for rural alternative development in the last 10 years have failed."

"I said it and I repeat it, we have provided $6.5 million," he said,
indicating that while this is not a significant amount on its own, it was
commendable in light of the reneging of France, the US and the United
Kingdom on promised funds for the programs.

Ali said there are many reasons for the lack of funding support, "one of
which was Lebanon did not live up to its commitment, giving the impression
the government wasn't committed."

However, Ali said, "we have prepared another program and we have started
contacting donors with the leadership of Elias Murr, who is . agile,
forward-looking, committed and determined and I am optimistic it will be
better . this time."

As for the situation concerning farmers who had their illicit crops and
only source of income swept from under their feet, Ali responded saying
that "you have to be innovative in finding alternative sources of income,
because although drugs bring in a lot of money, this is an illegal activity."

He added that "everyone is sympathetic with the conditions of the farmer"
and that his organization is studying possibilities for agricultural
development in the region.

Ali asserted his belief there is no longer a drug problem in the Bekaa: "It
has already been cleaned up by the Lebanese and Syrian armies and Lebanon
is considered a clean country by us."

In a nutshell: study's findings on legal and illegal drug use

The Rapid Situation Assessment study on legal and illegal drug use in
Lebanon was commissioned by the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime
Prevention and was conducted by the Institute for Development, Research and
Applied Care. Its findings revealed that:

* 11 percent of high school students and 22 percent of university students
have tried drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, opium or ecstasy at least once.

The number of male users was double the number of female users.

* One-third of those surveyed had used drugs in the past 30 days.

* About 37 percent of the high school sample reported having at least one
close friend who frequently used drugs.

* About 6 percent of upper-level high school students sampled reported
buying licit drugs from a pharmacist without a prescription and 70 percent
of those did not face objections from the pharmacist.

* The average age for substance use of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs ranges
between 14 and 17.

* About 63 percent of the high school sample reported being exposed to
anti-drug or anti-alcohol advertisements on TV, radio, or in newspapers
within the past year.

* One third of substance users in hospitals have previously been arrested
or imprisoned.

* Among the users who were previously treated, 85 percent did not stay off
drugs following treatment.

* Heroin is the most commonly reported substance for those seeking
treatment in hospitals, followed by cocaine, alcohol and tranquilizers.

* Heroin is the substance most commonly reported as a reason for arrest
followed by marijuana and cocaine.