Newsgroups: alt.drugs,talk.politics.drugs
Subject: "War Against Drugs a Failure"
From: hoey@husc8.harvard.edu (Steven Hoey)
Date: 11 Sep 92 00:26:42 EDT
Distribution: world
Keywords: interesting facts
Summary: Associated Press Wire Story

For the benefit of those whose newspapers either do not carry AP stories or
which did not print this particular article, I reprint (without permission)
the following article.  It appeared in my local paper on Thursday 9/11/92.


WAR AGAINST DRUGS A FAILURE
Senate Study Calls $32B Effort Nearly Fruitless

by Sonya Ross
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administartion's plan to erase America's drug
scourge is a $32 billion failure that lacks focus and victimizes the people
it is supposed to help, a Senate study concluded today.

Since the current programs were put in place three years ago, drug-related
murders have gone up, addiction has risen, and federal law enforcement dollars
to local jurisdictions have shurnk, said the report by the Senate Judiciary
Committee.

"The failure of a $32 billion drug war cannot be blamed on its foot soldiers,"
said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the committee's chairman.  "The seeds of
failure were sown by the generals, under whose direction the strategy has gone
toward stalemate...  They have chosen the wrong weapons and aimed them at the
wrong targets."

Bob Martinez, the Bush administration's drug policy director, was among those
testifying at a committee hearing today on the study.

The report was especially critical of Martinez, saying that under his leader-
ship, the drug policy office "has been so tarnished by political patronage that
it is now staffed by a greater portion of political appointees than any other
office of the federal government."

It said Martinez "has failed to consolidate any of the 41 federal agencies with
anti-drug responsibilities," despite a mandate from Congress to do so.

The study said that since the first drug strategy was released in 1989:
	*Three million Americans have become addicted to cocaine or heroin.
	*One million addicts have been unable to get treatment.
	*Drug education programs reached only one of every two schoolchildren.
	*Only one of ever 10 pregnant addicts received treatment.
	*About 900,000 babies were born drug-addicted.
	*About 71,700 people have been murdered.

The murder rate was the highest of any three-year period in American history,
the study said.  The majority of killings were drug-related, Senate researchers
said.  They did not give a precise number of drug killings.

"Unless the violence is stopped by a re-targeted, re-focused and re-invigorated
anti-drug effort, nearly 250,000 Americans will be murdered in the 1990s," the
study said.

It said the administration has reduced aid to state and local law enforcement
programs.  It cited $116 million in cuts in the administration's 1992 budget
proposal, and said that would be the equivalent of taking away 2,000 police
officers.

Adding to the problem, researchers said, is a seeming reluctance to concentrate
on choking off the drug supply.  Instead, "the administration futilely chases
the ever-changing routes and tactics of drug traffickers."




[I found the article interesting, and typical of the US Government.  The
legislature criticizes the executive, saying "no, no, no, you're doing this
War on Drugs thing all wrong," which I agree with.  The legislature proceeds
to tell the executive, "here, what you need to do is stop the scourge of drugs
THIS way, with more police, and more brainwashing..."  Exchanging the devil
we know for the devil we don't know (as well).  It's too bad the nobody in
this brain trust can think of any other alternatives, many of which have
been discussed here at great length.]

[BTW, I posted this for information, and to generate discussion.  Unfortunately
I don't have time to wade through this newsgroup regularly.  I also don't have
time to answer e-mail.  Don't kill the messenger, okay?  Thanks.]



-----
Steve Hoey
hoey@husc.harvard.edu




Newsgroups: alt.drugs,alt.psychoactives