cannabisnews.com: White House Unveils New Strategy!





White House Unveils New Strategy!
Posted by FoM on February 08, 1999 at 06:19:49 PT

WASHINGTON Hammering home the need for a drug-control strategy that measures success and failure, the Clinton administration is announcing a five-part plan designed to cut the size of the nation's drug problem in half by 2007. 
In a three-volume report to Congress, White House drug policy director Barry McCaffrey said drugs cost the country more than 14,000 lives annually, despite a nationwide effort that includes close to $18 billion spent this year by the federal government. President Clinton said that while "there is some encouraging progress in the struggle against drugs, ... the social costs of drug use continue to climb." In a message to Congress, Clinton said that among the positive signs are a growing view among young people that drugs are risky and a continuing decline in cocaine production overseas. "Studies demonstrate that when our children understand the dangers of drugs, their rates of drug use drop," said Clinton. The five parts of the administration plan are educating children, decreasing the addicted population, breaking the cycle of drugs and crime, securing the nation's borders from drugs and reducing the supply of drugs. The blend of strategies is aimed at reducing the use and availability of drugs by 50 percent by 2007, 25 percent by 2002. Achieving the goal would mean just 3 percent of the U.S. household population aged 12 and over would be using illegal drugs. The current figure is 6.4 percent. In 1979, the rate was near 15 percent. Vice President Al Gore said "this strategy takes us into the next century with a goal of dramatic reductions in the supply and demand for drugs and a real chance of giving our children drug-free communities in which to grow up." Matching contributions soughtA major piece of the drug-control effort: an advertising campaign that generates more than $195 million a year in matching contributions from media companies. "The strategy seeks to involve parents, coaches, mentors, teachers, clergy and other role models in a broad prevention campaign," said McCaffrey, head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. A cornerstone of the strategy is accountability for the wide array of current anti-drug programs, with boosts for those that work and the ability to identify swiftly and repair those that aren't producing results. "In the past, Congress had been critical because there were no specific measurements for success," said Bob Weiner, a spokesman for McCaffrey. "There was some real heat in the government" resisting demands for accountability, but "no longer do we only measure the people working the issue and the dollars spent on it. Now you've got to prove bang for the buck." The goals for the period ending in 2007 are to reduce the rate of crime associated with drug trafficking and use by 30 percent, and reducing the health and social costs associated with drugs by 25 percent. McCaffrey also wants to expand alternatives to jail for drug users -- an approach based on studies showing that prisoners who get treatment are far less likely to commit new crimes than those who don't. "Efforts to break the cycle of drugs and crime will pay for themselves through reduction in prison costs, social costs associated with drugs and crime and through the money no longer wasted on purchase of drugs," according to the new drug-control strategy. 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 09, 1999 at 05:43:24 PT
I agree!
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you. Everyone needs to do sometning and put their energy into it. We now have the Internet so most people will be able to help if they want too! Our personal moral freedom is at stake and people really need to see that anytime something is mentioned that it says will help protect the childrem we need to realize it is only going to take more from adults in the name of the children! They need to remember adults need to be treated fairly too!
FoM's New Freedom Page
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by STAN DUP on February 08, 1999 at 23:29:59 PT:
ANOTHER 700,000 WILL BE ARRESTED....
FOR "GRASS" IN 99, IF WE DONT: EDUCATE EVERYONE WE CAN W/ THE AVAILABLE RESEARCH(even if sometimes annonymously),   EXPRESS A STRONG OPINION TOWARDS LOCAL POLITITIONS, PROTEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COURTS WHEN THAY ARREST AND CONVICT SOMEONE FOR MARIJUANA( 1 in 7 is raped/gangraped in jail,some on a daily basis), HOUND THE MEDIA FOR NOT REPORTING THE TRUTH LOUD ENOUGH(if they report it at all). and this can be done thru the internet w/e-mail! If not, print it up and send via snail mail. DO IT !!!!!
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: