DATE= 12/3/97

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-38288

TITLE=DRUG SPENDING REVISIONS?

BYLINE=MELISSA WINKLER

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:  A U-S NON-PARTISAN ANTI-DRUG GROUP CALLED "DRUG

STRATEGIES" IS URGING CONGRESS TO REVERSE ITS DRUG CONTROL

SPENDING PRIORITIES SO THAT MORE MONEY GOES TO PREVENTION AND

TREATMENT.  IN A NEW REPORT, THE GROUP SAYS DEMAND REDUCTION, AS

OPPOSED TO SUPPLY INTERDICTION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, HAS PROVEN TO

BE A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE DRUG USE, ESPECIALLY AMONG

TEENS. V-O-A'S MELISSA WINKLER HAS THIS REPORT.



TEXT:  JUNE GERTIG'S SON BEGAN USING DRUGS WHEN HE WAS 12 YEARS

OLD AND WAS ADDICTED ONE YEAR LATER.  THE VIRGINIA YOUTH ENDED UP

SPENDING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS GOING FROM ONE TREATMENT PROGRAM TO

ANOTHER -- COSTING HIS FAMILY MORE THAN 40-THOUSAND DOLLARS.  THE

TREATMENT WORKED, BUT JUNE GERTIG WONDERS WHETHER HER SON'S

PROBLEMS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD HIS SCHOOL SPONSORED DRUG

PREVENTION PROGRAMS.



DRUG STRATEGIES SAYS EVIDENCE IS CLEAR THAT AFTER-SCHOOL

ACTIVITIES THAT KEEP KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE AND PROGRAMS TEACHING

YOUNG AMERICANS TO REJECT DRUGS ARE EFFECTIVELY CURBING TEEN DRUG

USE.



A NEW REPORT BY THE GROUP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MAINTAINING

COOPERATION IN INTERDICTION EFFORTS WITH DRUG-PRODUCING COUNTRIES

IS VITAL.  BUT THE GROUP'S PRESIDENT, MATHEA FALCO SAYS IT'S TIME

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STARTS TARGETING FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO

PROGRAMS THAT WORK BEST.



                        // FALCO ACT //



         THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OUT IN COMMUNITIES KNOW THEY'VE GOT

         TO DO MORE ABOUT PREVENTION. THEY ARE TERRIFIED ABOUT

         PROTECTING THEIR CHILDREN. AND THEIR LOCAL POLICE CHIEFS

         ARE GOING TO TELL THEM THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN'T SOLVE

         THAT PROBLEM.



                          // END OPT //



MS. FALCO SAYS THE GOVERNMENT ALSO NEEDS TO INVEST FAR MORE IN

DRUG TREATMENT.



                         // FALCO ACT //



         EVERYBODY KNOWS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TREATMENT IN THIS

         COUNTRY AND THERE IS EVEN LESS TREATMENT FOR KIDS -- AND

         YET WE KNOW, FROM EXTENSIVE STUDIES, THAT TREATMENT IS

         FAR MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN ANY OTHER STRATEGY OPTION.



                          // END ACT //



ACCORDING TO STUDIES CITED IN THE DRUG STRATEGIES' REPORT, IT

COSTS 34-MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TREATMENT PROGRAMS TO REDUCE

ANNUAL COCAINE USE BY ONE PERCENT.  IT WOULD TAKE 10 TIMES THAT

AMOUNT ON INTERDICTION ... AND 23 TIMES THAT AMOUNT, OR

783-MILLION DOLLARS, ATTACKING THE SUPPLY OUTSIDE THE UNITED

STATES.



SO WHY DOES THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FAVOR SUPPLY REDUCTION BY A

TWO-TO-ONE MARGIN OVER DEMAND REDUCTION?



MATHEA FALCO SUSPECTS THE ANSWER LIES IN POLITICS -- THAT BEING

TOUGH ON CRIME WINS MORE VOTES THAN CONFRONTING THE SENSITIVE

SUBJECT OF DRUG ABUSE.  SHE ALSO CITES THE PERCEPTION THAT THE

AMERICAN DRUG PROBLEM COMES FROM ABROAD AND THAT THE WAR ON DRUGS

NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED OVERSEAS.



IN ITS REPORT, DRUG STRATEGIES PROVIDES DETAILS ABOUT

COMMUNITY-BASED DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMS, LIKE THE MENTORING

GROUP 'THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA,' THAT HAVE WORKED TO

REDUCE TEEN DRUG USE.



THE ORGANIZATION SAYS IT PLANS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SUCH

PROGRAMS TO LAWMAKERS AND LOBBY THEM TO ALLOCATE TWO-THIRDS OF

DRUG CONTROL SPENDING TO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AND ONE-THIRD

TO SUPPLY REDUCTION. (SIGNED)



NEB/MJW/RRM



















03-Dec-97 5:05 PM EST (2205 UTC)

NNNN



Source: Voice of America

.