DRUG WAR'S MARCHING ORDERS

President Bush redeclared a "war" on drugs on Tuesday, making it one front
in the war against terrorism.

This isn't much of a stretch, since terrorist groups in some parts of the
world rely on drug money, as in Colombia. Al Qaeda probably received a cut
of Afghanistan's opium trade.

Unlike past presidents' wars on drugs, Mr. Bush bravely set targets for
himself and his drug czar, John Walters, including a 25 percent decrease in
the use of illegal drugs in the next five years. This will put the
president's drive for accountability to a hard test, but his willingness to
do so is admirable.

But like his predecessors, Bush vowed to toughen drug interdiction and
sustain crop eradication in the Andes and elsewhere. He also gave
interdiction the biggest increase in the $19 billion antidrug budget.

And he put equal emphasis on the most compelling rationale for the drug
war: Drugs devastate millions of lives, squandering human potential and
damaging the nation. His strategy stresses the need to reduce the demand
for drugs by increasing treatment for drug users and addicts.

Drug use is a little like a long balloon. When one part of it is squeezed,
another part gets bigger. Of late, narcotics-related crime has dropped in
many US cities, but it has expanded in many rural parts. A survey just
released by the Partnership for a Drug Free America found teens smoking and
drinking somewhat less, but using the "party drug" Ecstasy in alarmingly
increasing numbers.

The "balloon" needs to have the air - the misguided desire to get high -
let out of it. This will take exactly the multifaceted commitment Bush
indicated. Drug education efforts have to be sustained and strengthened.
Parents have to be mobilized against drugs. Faith-based organizations that
fight addiction should be fully utilized.

Not least, treatment and rehabilitation must be made more available. Much
of the continuing drug problem centers on addicts who constantly feed their
habit. This is a major part of the "demand" side.

Drug rehab, however, has failures and successes. To avoid drugs or kick a
habit, individuals need to see that drugs never bring pleasure, escape, or
love. In that regard, the compassion and care of parents, communities, and
spiritual counselors is crucial.