-------------------------------------------------------------------
New Program Qualifies Patients For Medical Marijuana Use (Steve Kubby,
A Cancer Patient And Libertarian Candidate For California Governor,
Announces He Has Formed A Private Company To Certify
Medical Marijuana Patients In Accordance With Proposition 215,
Issue Them Private Photo IDs, And Back Each ID With An Army Of Attorneys -
Two Physicians And Two Lawyers Have Already Been Signed Up - The Cost Will Be
About $1,500 To $2,000 Per Patient, Or $495 For The First 50 Patients)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 15:19:12 EDT
Errors-To: manager@drcnet.org
Reply-To: asobey@ncfcomm.com
Originator: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: Arthur Sobey
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: NEW PROGRAM QUALIFIES PATIENTS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE
--Please Distribute Widely--
NEW PROGRAM QUALIFIES PATIENTS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE
Dear Friends,
We don't need the government to give us permission to exercise our
rights under Prop. 215. The problem is access--not many folks can find a
physician who will risk their license to recommend medical marijuana.
What is needed is a program that makes it simple for people to qualify
as medical marijuana patients.
In order to allow Prop. 215 to be implemented on a mass scale, I am
forming a private company to certify medical MJ patients, issue private
photo IDs, and back each ID with an army of attorneys. Two top Prop 215
attorneys have already signed on to the program.
Our company has recruited two physicians who are highly knowledgeable
about medical marijuana and who will issue recommendations for
compassionate use, where medically appropriate. This will include any
medical condition for which marijuana appears to be of benefit.
No medical marijuana will be dispensed by us, we are strictly in the
business of qualifying patients for legal protection under the
Compassionate Use Act of 1996. To ensure privacy, all records will
stored offshore and all communications will be based on an offshore ISP.
Patients who qualify, will receive our "Compassionate Use Photo ID" and
an 800 number to call in an emergency. In addition, we will be
recruiting civil attorneys to sue police for any illegal arrests which
are made after one of our patients had shown their card. We believe a
few multi-million dollar suits against some police departments will lend
"credibility" to our ID cards.
Of course anyone could go out and issue their own medical marijuana ID
cards. What makes our ID cards different is that we will have a legal
team to back up our cards. These services don't come cheap. To properly
qualify a patient and provide a legal and medical basis for complying
with Prop. 215 will probably cost about $1,500-2,000 per patient. In
addition we would probably charge about $500 per year for an annual
evaluation and medical review. Although these fees may seem high, it is
important to recognize that our cards will authorize patients to
cultivate their own medicine, saving patients thousands of dollars a
year.
We are officially starting our waiting list for the new cards. Peter
McWilliams has already requested to be listed as number one on the list.
We will not issue cards until we have 50 patients on the list.
To encourage participation, the first 50 patients will receive their
cards for just $495.
Email us today to hold your place on our waiting list. There is no cost
until we are ready to issue cards. Help us break the deadlock on Prop.
215, join us today.
Let freedom ring,
Steve Kubby
***
This is an attempt to make the government take seriously the rights of
medical marijuana patients. While not everyone will be able to afford
the cost initially, the goal is to have the cost of annual registration
equal the cost of one ounce of medical marijuana. This goal should be
reached when the patient registration reaches about 500 patients. The
larger the organization, the more strength each medical marijuana
patient has under the law.
Additionally, the goal of the organization is to put itself out of
business. Once government begins to comply with the provisions of Prop
215 and quits harrassing patients who have a legitimate need for medical
marijuana, services like this won't be required. Once a few law
enforcement agencies or county governments eat some multi-million dollar
lawsuits, government persecution of medical marijuana patients should
cease.
It is sad that an effort like this must be made. Patients are already
supposed to be allowed to grow and use medical marijuana with the
recommendation of a doctor. It shouldn't cost them anything for this
right. The truth however is that government and law enforcement have
ignored Prop 215 and the rights of medical marijuana patients. The state
government has done nothing to enforce the will of the voters, and has
encouraged law enforcement to crack down illegally on medical marijuana
patients. Individual medical marijuana patients are being steam-rollered
by prosecutors and judges who apply their own prejudices instead of the
law. This must be stopped.
This plan offers patients legal authentication to back up the rights of
medical marijuana patients under the law.
Comments and questions should be directed to me at asobey@ncfcomm.com
peace,
Art Sobey
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Government Brings In Its Top Marijuana Research Scientist To Prove
Cancer Patient Todd McCormick Failed Urine Test (A Notice
From Best-Selling Author Peter McWilliams About The Court Hearing
To Begin Wednesday In Los Angeles Says Mahmoud ElSohly Is Being Flown Out
From Mississippi In An Attempt To Lock Up Todd McCormick
Until The Beginning Of His Federal Trial On Charges Of Marijuana Cultivation,
Filed In Defiance Of Proposition 215 - Dr. John P. Morgan Will Fly Out
From New York To Testify For McCormick)
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 01:04:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: theHEMPEROR@webtv.net (JR Irvin)
To: NTList@fornits.com
Subject: [ntlist] Fwd: McCormick Hearing Tomorrow
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 15:42:10 EDT
Errors-To: jnr@insightweb.com
Reply-To: friends@freecannabis.org
Originator: friends@freecannabis.org
Sender: friends@freecannabis.org
From: Remembers@webtv.net (Genie Brittingham)
To: Multiple recipients of list (friends@freecannabis.org)
From: "Peter McWilliams" (peter@mcwilliams.com)
To: "Peter McWilliams" (peter@mcwilliams.com)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 10:33:07 +0100
June 9, 1998-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOTICE OF COURTROOM NEWS EVENT TOMORROW
Government Brings In Its Top Marijuana Research Scientist to Prove Cancer
Patient Todd McCormick Failed Urine Test
Wednesday Hearing a Preview of McCormick's Medical Marijuana Trial
LOS ANGELES--Mahmoud ElSohly, Ph.D., the federal researcher in charge of the
National Institute of Drug Abuse multi-million dollar Marijuana Project that
grows and distributes medical marijuana to eight patients, will be flown in
from his headquarters at the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
at the University of Mississippi to testify against Todd McCormick. The
federal authorities are bringing in its biggest gun-who seldom appears in
public or grants interviews to the press-to prove McCormick failed a urine
test earlier this year.
McCormick's attorneys, Alan Isaacman and David Michael, will be bringing in
an expert on medical marijuana from the private sector, John P. Morgan,
M.D., Professor of Pharmacology at City University of New York Medical
School, and Adjunct Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Morgan,
author of Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts, is one of the world's foremost
authorities on marijuana and its physiological and pharmacological effects.
(http://www.marijuanafacts.org)
THE HEARING WILL BEGIN AT 9:30 AM ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1998, AT THE OLD
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, COURTROOM OF JUDGE JAMES MCMAHON
At stake is McCormick's freedom until his trial for medical marijuana
cultivation, which may not be until next year. The federal prosecutors
previously held McCormick for nine days without a hearing-illegal under
federal law-on the very same charge. This is the hearing McCormick was
entitled to by law, but has not yet received. Also at stake is whether a
physician can prescribe the FDA-approved medication Marinol(r) to McCormick or
other federal defendants on bail.
The two expert medical witnesses, the presence and preparedness of McCormick
top-notch lawyers, and at least two highly motivated federal prosecutors,
make the Wednesday hearing a preview of the upcoming McCormick trial. Dr.
ElSohly and Dr. Morgan will both be subject to full cross-examination, under
oath, and their answers may have ramification far beyond this case. The
hearing may extend into Thursday and perhaps beyond. The hearing will be
presided over by Administrative Federal Judge James McMahon, not McCormick's
trial judge, the Honorable George King.
The Federal Prosecutors returned to McCormick's stored urine samples that
had previously tested negative and had them tested again using "more
advanced, state-of-the-art" equipment. It is the interpretation of those
test results about which the doctors will be testifying.
The choice of the federal government to bring in Dr. ElSohly's is surprising
when one considers his ongoing scientific and personal conviction that the
components of marijuana, most particularly TCH, have wide-ranging medical
benefits. He even invented a version of THC that could be used as a
suppository. He, not the government, owns the patent on this marijuana-based
invention. In an interview in the peer-review Journal of the International
Hemp Association (Volume 3 Number 1 - June 1996), Dr. ElSohly stated:
"I think that THC is going to have a much wider use in the pharmaceutical
area, for other indications. We've already gotten a patent on the use of
suppositories for the treatment of different conditions, glaucoma, nausea
and vomiting, appetite stimulation, as an analgesic, as an anxiolytic, and
also as an anti-spastic for MS, spinal injuries and so on. These are
conditions that we have actually applied for in the patent and these are
good legitimate areas where THC could be a very helpful drug. So I would say
in the future we'll see much more acceptable use of THC as a drug."
(Complete interview at:
http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/HEMP/IHA/iha03112.html)
How federal prosecutors-who claim there are no legitimate medical uses for
medical marijuana and who must, therefore, prosecute McCormick-plan to
explain their own expert's contrary view is not known.
In a matter not related to Dr. ElSohly, McCormick's attorneys have uncovered
a potential bombshell that may be revealed at the hearing but cannot even be
hinted at in a press release.
In an interesting side-note: The same regional division of DEA and federal
attorneys that is prosecuting McCormick also caused the current Mexican
government uproar over an illegal money-laundering investigation that has
already been termed "laundergate." "We must all respect the sovereignty of
each nation," Mexican President Zedillo told a special session of the U.N.
General Assembly on Monday, "so that no one . . . feels entitled to violate
other countries' laws for the sake of enforcing its own." President Clinton
was shown wincing on C-SPAN as he heard President Zedillo's remarks. The
indictments of 26 Mexican bankers (and no American bankers) for money
laundering were brought before the Los Angeles Federal Grand Jury by the
same divisions prosecuting McCormick.
"We'll just have to find a way to do this better in the future," Drug Czar
Barry McCaffrey said of the DEA and federal prosecutors. Prosecutors
revealed on Monday that they plan to go after further indictments against
McCormick and other medical marijuana patients shortly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Coalition Fights Legal Pot ('The Detroit Free Press' Says The Troy Community
Coalition Joined With The Chief Prosecutors From Oakland, Macomb And Wayne
Counties, The US Drug Enforcement Administration And The Coalition Of Healthy
Communities In Sponsoring A Statewide Conference Monday At The Troy,
Michigan, Marriott Hotel - 'Marijuana - Myth Vs. Reality,'
A Pre-Emptive Strike Against A Non-Existent Medical Marijuana Initiative)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 19:42:30 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US MI: Coalition Fights Legal Pot
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: The Detroit Free Press
Contact: editpg@det-freepress.com
Website: http://www.freep.com/
Author: Robert H. Campbell Free Press Staff Writer
Comment: Robert H. Campbell may be reached at 1-248-586-2621.
COALITION FIGHTS LEGAL POT
Conference Targets Medical Marijuana
The Troy Community Coalition, in collaboration with several groups, has
launched a pre-emptive strike against the legalization of marijuana and
other drugs in Michigan.
"Watching other states deal with this issue has made us uneasy," said Mary
Ann Solberg, executive director of the coalition.
The coalition, the chief prosecutors from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne
counties, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Coalition of
Healthy Communities sponsored a half-day conference Monday at the Troy
Marriott, "Marijuana: Myth vs. Reality."
The event, billed as a statewide conference, was designed to raise
awareness about a potential ballot initiative in Michigan, said Oakland
County Prosecutor David Gorcyca.
Other states have gained the signatures needed to place the legalization of
marijuana as a medication on the ballots, circumventing the state
Legislature, Solberg said.
The Oakland County Health Division's office of substance abuse said there
has been an increase in teenagers seeking treatment for marijuana use.
During the 1996-97 fiscal year, 51.5 percent of people younger than 20 who
were admitted to treatment programs had marijuana problems, while 34.4
percent were being treated for alcohol, said John Larsen, a division
program analyst.
"That statistic has reversed itself in the last four or five years," said
Larsen.
Speakers at the conference included public officials from Arizona and
Washington, states that have had referendums on drug legalization.
Barnett Lotstein, special assistant county prosecutor in Arizona, praised
the organizers for being "way ahead of the curve." In 1996, Arizona voters
approved by 64 percent a measure that allows doctors to prescribe
marijuana, heroin and LSD for medicinal purposes.
Lotstein told the crowd of about 200 that anti-legalization groups were
outspent, $1.6 million to $35,000.
Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owens said "legalizers" have been successful
"because of America's complacent, 'it's-only-pot' attitude."
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, or National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said Michigan is not an immediate target
state. NORML, based in Washington, D.C., argues that marijuana laws should
be changed to allow medicinal and non-medicinal use for adults.
St. Pierre said anti-reform groups should be worried because public opinion
is against them. "That's why they had trouble raising money in the Arizona
election.
"This same effort went on last week in Florida. It was called the
Anti-Medical Marijuana Summit. It was exactly the same tone and tenor
there. Plotting in advance on how to stymie voter initiatives."
Several teens who attended Monday's event criticized it for being too
political.
Marijuana is "already illegal and it doesn't make any difference. People
still smoke," said Sarah Miller, 17.
Instead you have to change people's attitudes, said Mac Vaughey, 17.
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Ex-Ford Heights Cops Guilty Of Bribe-Taking ('The Chicago Tribune'
Says The Two Former Police Officers Pleaded Guilty Monday To Racketeering,
Admitting They Took Numerous Bribes From Several Crack-Cocaine Dealers
To Overlook Wide-Open Drug Trafficking In The Suburb South Of Chicago)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 11:28:35 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US IL: Ex-Ford Heights Cops Guilty Of Bribe-Taking
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young
Pubdate: 09 June 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Section: MetroChicago
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Author: Matt O'Connor
EX-FORD HEIGHTS COPS GUILTY OF BRIBE-TAKING
Two former Ford Heights police officers pleaded guilty Monday to
racketeering and admitted taking numerous bribes from several crack-cocaine
dealers to overlook wide-open drug trafficking in the south suburb.
Five former officers, at one time at least half of the town's full-time
force, have now been convicted of corruption since charges were first
brought in October 1996 in federal court. A sixth was convicted in an
unrelated insurance fraud scheme.
The latest to admit wrongdoing were Kerwin Hall, 39, now of St. Paul, and
Odell Boxley, 50, of Ford Heights, both of whom held the rank of corporal.
Each faces 11 to 14 years in prison, according to Assistant U.S. Atty.
Jonathan Bunge, who prosecuted the case. They are scheduled to be sentenced
Oct. 16.
According to their separate plea agreements, Hall and Boxley regularly took
payoffs from two narcotics dealers as well as a female dealer who was,
without their knowledge, cooperating with the FBI.
After her earlier arrest on drug-dealing charges, the woman, Norma Nelson,
told authorities that she been the target of shakedowns by Hall for money,
according to Bunge.
The first of several drug dealers who eventually agreed to cooperate
against the corrupt officers, Nelson wore a hidden recorder as she made
eight payoffs to Hall and four payoffs to Boxley in 1991 and 1992, Bunge
said.
Both officers also admitted taking numerous payoffs from drug dealer
Timothy Smith from 1991 to 1993.
Hall also took money from drug dealer Warren Johnson from 1991 to April
1993, while Boxley also extorted from drug dealer James Cross from 1993 to
1996, according to their plea agreements.
In return for the money, the agreements said, the officers refrained from
interfering with drug trafficking and provided the dealers with sensitive
information about the enforcement activities of other officers.
Smith, Johnson and Cross all operated major drug trafficking operations 24
hours a day, seven days a week in Ford Heights, Bunge said. Johnson is now
dead, while Smith and Cross are serving lengthy prison terms.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Hall and Boxley will be held
responsible for a combined 110 to 330 pounds of crack and powder cocaine
the drug operations are estimated to have peddled in Ford Heights.
Their guilty pleas come days after another former Ford Heights police
officer, Keith Jones, 38, pleaded guilty to racketeering for ignoring drug
activity in the town.
Last June, Capt. Jack Davis was sentenced to 20 years in prison after his
conviction by a federal jury for pocketing bribes from drug dealers while
he was acting chief of the force.
Davis was found guilty of letting the drug trade flourish, tipping off
dealers to law-enforcement efforts and even offering advice on the best
places in Ford Heights to sell narcotics.
Former Officer Dale Jones was sentenced to 14 years in prison last October
after he also pleaded guilty to taking bribes from drug dealers, while
charges are still pending in the investigation against Sgt. Vincent Taran
Hunter and Carl Amos, an alleged drug dealer.
Cordell Williams, another Ford Heights police officer, was given probation
for torching his personal car and then claiming it had been stolen and set
afire by the thief.
When the charges against the officers left the impoverished village with
only a handful of full-time officers remaining on duty in fall 1996, Cook
County sheriff's police and the Illinois State Police were brought in to
bolster police protection for the community.
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Attitudes Affect Who Uses Marijuana, Survey Finds (A Different 'Reuters'
Version Of Yesterday's Government-Funded Misinformation
From 'The American Journal Of Public Health')
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 00:48:04 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Wire: Attitudes Affect who Uses Marijuana, Survey Finds
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny)
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: Reuters
Author: Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
ATTITUDES AFFECT WHO USES MARIJUANA, SURVEY FINDS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attitudes toward drug use strongly affect whether
teen-agers use marijuana, researchers said Tuesday.
Marijuana use among high school students soared in the 1970s, fell in the
1980s and is creeping back up again in the 1990s. Jerald Bachman and
colleagues at the University of Michigan say attitudes are the reason.
``The overwhelming factor was the student's attitude, whether they thought
it was dangerous,'' Bachman, a social psychologist, said in a telephone
interview.
Bachman's team looked at written surveys of more than 140,000 high school
students, done from 1976 through 1996.
The students were asked whether they used marijuana and what their attitudes
toward the drug were, among other things.
Students who were religious, who made good grades, who did not skip school
and who did not go out much at night were much less likely to use marijuana.
This held true in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.
But there were big variations in overall marijuana use over time. ``For
example, a 12th grader in 1978 was fully three times as likely to be a
current marijuana user (defined as any use in the past 30 days) as a 12th
grader in 1992,'' the researchers wrote in a report in the American Journal
of Public Health. ''Why did its popularity fluctuate so much?''
``Attitudes about specific drugs -- disapproval of use and perceptions of
risk or harmfulness -- are among the most important determinants of actual
use,'' the researchers wrote.
Teen-agers in the 1980s were much more likely to say they disapproved of
marijuana use, or to know about the dangers of marijuana, than teen-agers in
the 1970s, Bachman said.
Bachman said he believed the surveys accurately reflected whether the
teen-agers were actually taking drugs. Past analysis showed the respondents
were answering truthfully, and were not just giving answers they thought
interviewers wanted to read.
Bachman, who has studied drug use by teen-agers for 30 years, said education
campaigns did work. He said schools, politicians and the media had hit hard
on drugs in the 1980s, but talked about them less now.
``They have become complacent, yes,'' he said. High-profile deaths of young
athletes who took cocaine in the 1980s helped scare teen-agers off that
drug, he said. And in the early 1980s teen-agers could see fellow students
who were ''burned out'' by marijuana use.
He also said the attitude toward the individual drug was important. Cocaine
use and marijuana use did not parallel one another -- indicating that it was
knowledge of the drug itself, and not overall attitudes about drugs in
general, that was important.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Buzz ('The Associated Press'
Says Amurol Confections Company, A Wholly Owned Subsidiary
Of The William Wrigley Jr. Company, Is Getting Ready To Launch
A Caffeine-Laced Chewing Gum Called Stay Alert)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 18:27:54 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US IL: Wire: Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Buzz
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: Associated Press
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR BUZZ
CHICAGO (AP) -- Here's a new one to chew on: Caffeine-laced gum.
Amurol Confections Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., is
getting ready to launch Stay Alert, a new gum where two sticks are the
equivalent of one to two cups of coffee.
Hoping to cash in on American's love of caffeine, the company has been
quietly testing the gum in Walgreen Co. drugstores and plans to unveil the
finished product to the trade at next week's All Candy Expo trade show in
Chicago. Consumer should expect to see Stay Alert, which costs 89 cents for
five sticks, in stores across the nation by late summer.
``It's not just a gum, it's a unique gum that does something for you,'' said
A.G. Atwater, chief executive of Amurol.
But the gum has a bitter taste that comes after the first few chews,
although company executives note testing found the taste is an acquired one,
similar to first drinkers of coffee.
The packaging for Stay Alert caffeine supplement gum suggests taking two
sticks, together containing 100 milligrams of caffeine. Consumers are warned
not to exceed four sticks, which come in mint and cinnamon flavors, every
three to four hours.
By comparison, a cup of coffee can have anywhere from 40 to 215 milligrams
of caffeine depending on the brewing techniques, while a 12-ounce can of
Mountain Dew has 54 milligrams. Over-the-counter medication Vivarin has 200
milligrams and No Doz has 100 milligrams of caffeine.
The move represents a change for Wrigley, the maker of Juicy Fruit and
Doublemint, as it struggles with flat sales in the United States. American
consumers have been shifting to breath mints and away from gum. Amurol,
based in Yorkville, Ill., is best known for children's gums such as Bubble
Tape and Big League Chew.
With Amurol's surveys finding some 36.2 million commuters, truck drivers,
college students and coffee drinkers often in need of a quick jolt to stay
awake, Wrigley hopes to recapture some of its lost sales.
Amurol also is considering gums with appetite suppressants, decongestants
and cough medicines, said Bruce Thompson, Amurol's vice president of marketing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Adopts Anti-Drug Proposal ('The Associated Press' Says The US Senate
Voted 52-46 Tuesday Along Party Lines To Adopt A Republican
Anti-Drug Proposal Estimated To Cost $15 Billion Over Five Years,
Which Would Increase Funds For Drug Interdiction,
Restrict Federally Backed Loans To Students Convicted Of Possessing Marijuana
Or Other Illegal Drugs, And Ban Federal Financing
Of Needle Exchange Programs, A Package Majority Leader Trent Lott Said
Was Essential If The Comprehensive McCain Tobacco Bill
Was To Clear The Senate)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 18:08:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: turmoil
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: Senate Adopts Anti-Drug Proposal (fwd)
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-controlled Senate voted to
ratchet up the war on drugs and eyed an election-year tax cut
Tuesday as President Clinton worked with GOP and Democratic leaders
to break a logjam on a bill to reduce teen smoking.
``Reports of the death of this legislation are premature,'' Sen.
John McCain, R-Ariz., declared at the end of a long day during
which the bill seemed to hover between breakdown and breakthrough.
Still, McCain cautioned, ``We certainly by no means have total
confidence that we will reach a successful conclusion.''
The vote was 52-46, along party lines, to adopt the GOP
anti-drug proposal that Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., had
said was essential if the comprehensive tobacco bill were to clear
the Senate. The provision, estimated to cost $15 billion over five
years, would increase money for drug interdiction, restrict
federally backed loans for students convicted of drug possession
and ban federal financing of needle exchange programs.
A vote on a tax cut proposal -- another key Republican demand --
was expected Wednesday, and Democrats conceded it was likely to
pass. The most recent version would provide relief from the income
tax ``marriage penalty'' as well as help the self-employed pay for
health insurance.
Together, the two proposals underscored the election year
determination of Republicans to place their stamp on a bill the
White House and most Democrats supported. For their part, Democrats
served notice they would continue to force Republicans to vote to
choke off debate on the bill. Most GOP lawmakers are expected to
vote against such proposals, and Democrats said that would give
them ammunition for campaign commercials if compromise efforts
collapse.
Neither the tax cut nor the anti-drug proposal was contained in
the legislation that McCain brought to the Senate floor more than
two weeks ago with White House backing. But Clinton talked by phone
with both Lott and Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle during the
day, and dispatched top aides to participate in discussions.
And officials signaled they were ready to accept the proposals
as part of the cost of clearing a major anti-teen smoking measure.
One administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said the White House was likely to express concern that the
anti-drug and tax cut provisions would absorb a significant portion
of the money generated by the bill. Still, this official said,
neither the president nor his aides will issue a veto threat.
As drafted, the legislation would raise the price of a pack of
cigarettes by $1.10 a year, and direct the money toward the states
to pay health care costs and pay for disease research at labs such
as the National Institutes of Health.
Before the drug vote, McCain, the chief architect of the tobacco
bill, said a day of closed-door talks had been beneficial to the
bill's chances.
And an aide to Daschle said that with the developments, ``the
prospects for the tobacco bill just got much better.'' The aide,
Ranit Schmelzer, added, ``There will likely be a tax cut in this
bill.''
Lott was not as optimistic in his public comments. ``This gets
us started in that direction'' of completing action, he said on the
Senate floor.
At the White House, Clinton told reporters he had talked by
phone with Daschle and Lott. Asked about the tobacco bill at a news
conference, he said: ``There are still problems, to be sure, but
we're getting closer to, I think, a principled compromise. I hope
we are.''
On the GOP drug package, all 52 votes in favor came from
Republicans; 44 Democrats as well as Republicans John Chafee of
Rhode Island and James Jeffords of Vermont voted against.
A subsequent attempt by Democrats to substitute their own
anti-drug proposal was voted down along party lines.
The principal backers of the GOP proposal were Sens. Paul
Coverdell of Georgia and Larry Craig of Idaho, who argued that any
legislation dealing with cigarette smoking should also address
youngsters' drug abuse.
``As bad as tobacco abuse is, it does not cause a mind to pick
up a gun and murder. But drug abuse does,'' said Coverdell.
The first skirmish of the day was inauspicious for the
legislation, as Democrats lost an early afternoon attempt to choke
off debate. The vote was 56-42, 18 shy of the 60 needed to force a
final vote, and almost completely along party lines.
At the same time, Republicans indicated they were ready to scale
back the size of their proposed tax cut in hopes of winning
acquiescence from the White House and congressional Democrats.
Democrats had complained that an earlier GOP tax proposal would
have consumed the bulk of the money to be raised in the bill,
leaving an insufficient amount for states to pay health care costs
or for an anti-smoking campaign.
The behind-the-scenes maneuvering was in contrast to the
partisan rhetoric on the Senate floor on a bill that Democrats said
openly they would attempt to use to political advantage in the fall
campaign.
``The tobacco companies have to be cheering after that last
vote,'' Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said after Daschle's attempt
to force an end to debate had failed.
Opponents of the measure were no less scathing.
Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, said the bill would raise and spend
hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 25 years, and for
some people would be like winning a lottery.
``But to blue collar working Americans who will bear the brunt
of this tax, this is going to be a massive tax increase,'' he said.
***
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 1998 by The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved
The information contained in the AP News report may not be published,
broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of
The Associated Press.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Protesters, Critics Demand End To Drug War ('The Associated Press'
Notes Clinton And McCaffrey Got Less Attention At The United Nations
Than Those Protesting Their Attempt To Escalate The Global War
On Some Drug Users)
From: Paul Freedom (nepal@teleport.com)
Organization: Oregon Libertarian Patriots
To: Cannabis Patriots (cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com)
Subject: CanPat - Fwd: Protesters, critics demand end to drug war
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 19:20:09 -0700
From: ewolfe@involved.com (Ed Wolfe)
Reply-To: ewolfe@involved.com
To: nepal@teleport.com
AP-ES-06-09-98 0138EDT
Protesters, critics demand end to drug war
NEW YORK (AP) - Critics of the Clinton administration's drug policy called
on the president to end the war on drugs and focus the nation's efforts on
public health.
As President Clinton pledged in a speech to the United Nations Monday to cut
drug use in the United States in half by the year 2007, protesters carried
33 black cardboard coffins decrying his efforts.
"The war on drugs is useless," said Keith Cylar, co-executive director of
Housing Works, a New York City-based advocacy group. "A war on drugs doesn't
take into account the people."
Delivering the opening address to the U.N. General Assembly's special
session on drugs, Clinton announced a $2 billion anti-drug publicity
campaign targeting young people.
The goal of the U.N. session is to endorse target dates for governments to
enact legislation to combat money laundering, increase judicial cooperation
and reduce the demand for drugs.
At a news conference after Clinton's speech, critics derided the U.N.'s efforts.
"The U.N. drug summit is perhaps the biggest pep rally ever in the failed
global war on drugs," said Ethan Nadelmann, director of the private
Lindesmith Center, a drug policy research institute. "There's nothing in the
way of a critical, serious dialogue being offered by members of the U.N."
"It's the same stuff people have been saying for decades," Nadelmann
continued. He was joined at the news conference by a half-dozen other speakers.
In a two-page letter published Monday in The New York Times, some 500
prominent public figures denounced the routing of resources to "ever more
expensive interdiction efforts" without adequate attention to "realistic
proposals to reduce drug-related crime, disease and death."
Signees included former Secretary of State George Shultz, former U.N.
Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, former Greek President George
Papandreou, former President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica and former German
Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger.
"We have a global epidemic. If this were any other disease, you would see an
emphasis on treatment. But when it comes to drugs, the emphasis is on
arrests. There's something wrong with that," said Dr. Alex Wodak, director
of drug and alcohol services at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia.
Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Clinton's drug policy adviser, said the letter was
little more than a "mouse that roared" and predicted few would take it
seriously.
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DrugSense Focus Alert Number 66 - New York Times (DrugSense
Asks You To Write A Letter To 'The New York Times'
Applauding Its Rare Stance Opposing Escalation Of The Global War
On Some Drug Users)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 14:18:25 -0700
To: mgreer@mapinc.org
From: Mark Greer (MGreer@mapinc.org)
Subject: FOCUS Alert No. 66 New York Times
FOCUS Alert No. 66 New York Times
It's not very often we get a chance to pat a major publication like the NY
Times on the back. In the article below they hit the nail on the head! The
UN drug summit was little more than a bunch of cheerleaders trying to
convince each other that the failure is success.
Please write a letter the New York Times and thank them for this sensible
article. There may never be a better time. A full 2 page ad with the open
letter to Kofi Annan and hundreds of high profile signatories just ran in
the NYT and another large ad on the release of "Drug Crazy" will be out in
the next few days. The News York Times is very aware of the reform movement
right now so let's get busy and make hay while the sun sines. We're on a roll!
WRITE A LETTER - HELP CHANGE THE WORLD
Just DO It!!
***
PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)
Please post your letters or report your action to the MAPTalk list if you
are subscribed, or return a copy to this address by simply hitting
REPLY to this FOCUS Alert or E-mailing to MGreer@mapinc.org
***
CONTACT INFO
New York Times
letters@nytimes.com
"EXTRA CREDIT"
Got a 6-800 word masterpiece that is pertinent to national or int'l drug
policy issues? Send it here. Get an Oped in the NYT and you're are an
overnight reform celebrity.
Editorials edpage@nr.infi.net
***
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Cheerleaders Against Drugs
Manhattan is filled this week with world leaders attending a
well-intentioned but misdirected United Nations conference on drugs. With
drugs more plentiful and cheaper than ever worldwide, the leaders are
mostly extolling failed strategies to combat the problem. Pino Arlacchi,
the Italian official who heads the organization's International Drug
Control Program, is promising to eliminate coca leaf and opium poppies, the
basis of cocaine and heroin, in 10 years. Such claims get in the way of
effective programs to reduce drug use.
Mr. Arlacchi's proposal, which is likely to be approved, would attempt to
cut drug cultivation by bringing roads, schools and other development to
drug areas. The notion sounds reasonable, and it is surely better to help
farmers than to finance a militarized war on drugs, which has torn apart
societies and built up some of the world's most repressive armies. But
elements of Mr. Arlacchi's plan are unrealistic and harmful. Half the
funding would supposedly come from drug-producing nations themselves, an
unlikely prospect. Mr. Arlacchi would also make partners out of such
abusive and unreliable governments as the Taliban in Afghanistan and the
military in Myanmar.
While there is a place for crop substitution, law enforcement, interdiction
and other programs to cut drug supply, these steps rarely deliver promised
results.
Where crop substitution has been successful, drug cultivation has simply
moved next door.
The conference has seen a welcome increase in talk about the duties of
drug-consuming countries, but its proposals are still tilted toward
attacking supply. Studies show that treatment programs are far more
cost-effective than efforts overseas.
But it is politically safer to advocate fighting drugs abroad than treating
addicts at home.
The U.N. kept off the program virtually all the citizens' groups and
experts who wanted to speak. There is no discussion of some interesting new
ideas such as harm reduction, which focuses on programs like needle
exchanges and methadone that cut the damage drugs do. Like previous U.N.
drug conferences, this one seems designed primarily to recycle unrealistic
pledges and celebrate dubious programs.
***
Sample Letter (SENT)
Dear Editor:
Congratulations for having significantly more wisdom and insight than the
United Nations ("Cheerleaders Against Drugs" NYT 6/9). The nonsensical
rhetoric from the UN about eradicating the world drug supply in 10 years
should be laughable but these world "leaders" are actually serious.
Even the slightest bit of rational thought will lead to the conclusion that
we have already failed miserably in our 80 year old "war on drugs," and
that we have wasted nearly $1 trillion dollars by some estimates with no
results other than that any child with a ten dollar bill can buy illegal
drugs at will.
The public is beginning to get it, as is the media, but the politicians who
are addicted to chest beating claims of protecting the children seem
completely devoid of rational thought on the subject and seem unable to see
what is obvious to any sensible observer. Prohibition has never worked in
the entire history of man. It will never work for drugs. Time to wake up
and smell the coffee (another drug we don't talk about much).
Mark Greer
(contact info and phone)
***
Mark Greer
Media Awareness Project (MAP) inc.
d/b/a DrugSense
MGreer@mapinc.org
http://www.DrugSense.org/
http://www.mapinc.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Concern Over Drug Legalization ('Inter Press Service'
Says General Barry McCaffrey, The United States Drug Czar,
Is 'Very Disturbed By' The Growing Demand For The 'Legalization' Of Drugs,
Which He Nevertheless Characterized As 'Insignificant')
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 01:14:03 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Wire: Concern Over Drug Legalization
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry
Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jun 1998
Source: Inter Press Service
CONCERN OVER DRUG LEGALIZATION
UNITED NATIONS, (June 9) IPS - The United States admits it is concerned --
but not alarmed -- by the growing new demand for the legalization of drugs
in the country.
"We are very disturbed by the trend," Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, said and added that, if polling data
was considered, there was "not a shred of support" for legalization.
McCaffrey, however, dismissed as insignificant the increased support for
legalization within the intellectual and academic communities. "It is a case
of the mouse that roared," he told reporters here today.
Since there was no widespread support for legalization, pro-drug elements in
the U.S. are trying "subtle and nuanced approaches" to the question of drug
legalization, he said.
Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said there was a
kind of "pseudo-intellectualism" in the current campaign to legalize drugs
but "there is no scientific base to their conclusions."
"These drugs are harmful, and there is no way that they can made the case
that they are not harmful, or that they won't lead to the worst kind of
public health effects," she said.
Shalala said the U.S. government believed that public health issues ought to
be based on science, and there was clear evidence that marijuana was
dangerous. "Public policies that did not reflect the danger of drugs should
not be made. There was no such thing as a soft drug," she added.
U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said she was totally opposed to the
legalization of drugs "because I have seen so many instances in which people
who were abusers were motivated into treatment by the threat of sanctions."
"I think the balanced approach that includes vigorous enforcement and focus
on traffickers and appropriate sanctions against users coupled with
treatment can have a dramatic impact."
All three U.S. officials are in New York for the U.N.'s three-day Special
Session on the World Drug Problem. The meeting, attended by more than 30
world leaders, ends tomorrow.
Ethan Nadelmann, of the New York-based Lindesmith Center, a drug research
institute, said that President Bill Clinton has recommitted the United
Nations and the United States to a drug war "that is more militarised and
which will ultimately be more futile."
"President Clinton should concede the obvious: After decades of relying on
failed ideas like interdiction and training foreign armies, prices are down,
drug use is up, more governments are corrupted and more ecosystems are in
jeopardy. Increasing spending on failed policies of the past won't achieve a
better result in the future," Nadelmann said.
Last week, in a run-up to the Special Session, the New York Academy of
Medicine hosted the first international conference on heroin maintenance. It
was the first U.S. data presentation from a three-year Swiss study that
prescribed heroin maintenance for more than 1,100 long-term addicts.
The Swiss National Project on the Medically Controlled Prescription of
Narcotics reported that participants in the study - in which addicts
received heroin under medical supervision - experienced a 60 percent
decrease in criminal offenses and a marked decline in the use of other
illegal drugs.
The Academy said that the Swiss trials have generated growing international
attention. Similar trials are now underway or under consideration in the
Netherlands, the UK, Australia, Germany, Spain, Austria and Canada.
"Research and experiences with heroin maintenance abroad have important
implications for the United States where heroin abuse is once again on the
rise," the Academy said.
The Academy also argues that medical prescription of narcotics is a widely
accepted form of addiction treatment. Several narcotics are currently
prescribed as one component of treatment for addiction to an illicit drug.
According to the Academcy, morphine maintenance clinics operated in the U.S.
from 1918 to 1923, and governments licensed opium outlets in Asia until the
mid-1900s to provide restricted legal access to the same drugs that addicts
previously obtained by other means. The British government reportedly
allowed physicians to prescribe heroin, morphine and cocaine as a form of
addiction treatment from the 1920s until the 1960s.
At a press conference Monday, Pino Arlacchi, head of the U.N. Office for
Drug Control and Crime Prevention, said that not a single member state had
advocated legalization as a solution to the world's drug problem.
"Drugs were very profitable, but it would be naive to think that the
legalization of narcotic drugs and the subsequent removal of profits from
such trade would put organized crime out of business," he said.
On the other hand, Arlacchi said, there was currently a unanimous political
commitment on the part of member states to devise new strategies for demand
reduction, elimination of money laundering and the substantial reduction of
illicit drugs. "The next step would be to discuss concretely how the
resources should be gathered and used," he noted.
Meanwhile, several non-governmental organization (NGOs), which have urged
the United Nations to give up its global drug war, has accused the world
body of shutting them out of the current discussions.
"The United Nations kept off the program virtually all the citizen's groups
and experts who wanted to speak," the New York Times said in an editorial
today. "There is no discussion of some interesting new ideas such as harm
reduction, which focuses on programs like needle exchanges and methodone
that cut the damage drugs do."
The Times said that like previous U.N. drug conferences, the current Special
Session "seems designed primarily to recycle unrealistic pledges and
celebrate dubious programs."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Remarks By Barry R. McCaffrey, Director, Office Of National Drug Control
Policy To The United Nations General Assembly Special Session On Drugs
(Text Of The US Drug Czar's Speech Includes A Strategy
For Making The Internet Safe For Prohibitionists)
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 21:13:16 -0400
To: DrugSense News Service
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Remarks By Barry R. McCaffrey To UNGASS
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Mark Greer
Source: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
Contact: ondcp@ncjrs.org
Pubdate: 9 Jun 1998
Author: Barry McCaffrey
Editors note: Our newshawk is not sure if this was published anywhere, but
we suspect it may have been broadcast. Note the interest in the internet.
Welcome, Barry, we are ready to debate!
REMARKS BY BARRY R. MCCAFFREY, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL
POLICY TO THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON DRUGS
Introduction
We appreciate the efforts of UNDCP, the U.N. Department of Public
Information, Italian National Television, and the Italian Permanent mission
to the U.N. in organizing this workshop and pulling together such a
distinguished group of participants. My comments will summarize how the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is implementing an
integrated communications strategy that employs the full spectrum of
today's multi-media environment.
As stated in the U.S. 1998 National Drug Control Strategy, our principal
drug-control goal is to educate our sixty eight million children about
illegal drugs and enable them to reject such drugs. To meet this goal,
ONDCP received congressional funding to implement a five-year media
campaign, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. An unprecedented
paid advertising campaign, developed in association with Jim Burke and the
Partnership for a Drug-Free America, forms the core of this initiative. It
will be supported and extended through a variety of non-advertising
communication activities. By harnessing the potential of an integrated
communication campaign -- using both mass and interpersonal channels --
ONDCP intends to touch the lives of youth and their parents in myriad ways
that will encourage young people to embrace a drug-free lifestyle.
Dimensions Of The U.s. Adolescent Drug Problem
Our nation faces a challenging situation as the use of drugs by young
people climbs while their perception of the risk of drug use falls.
According to the University of Michigan Monitoring the Future study, a
sharp increase in marijuana and other drug use among adolescents in the
mid-1990s coincided with an equally sharp decline in the proportion of
students who believed marijuana use to be dangerous. Perhaps most
disconcerting is the fact that the increase in drug use was greatest among
the youngest cohort of adolescents. Although these increases in adolescent
drug use leveled off in 1997, they remain unacceptably high.
Adolescent substance abuse takes a great toll on our young people and our
society. Drug use can lead to school failure, diminished economic
opportunity, addiction, and even death. Most of the leading causes of death
among adolescents -- motor vehicle crashes, homicide, suicide, injury, and
HIV infection -- are more likely to occur under the influence of
psychoactive substances. Among adolescents, drug use is highly correlated
with a constellation of deviant behavior, including truancy, vandalism,
hostility, lying, and poor academic performance. The social costs of these
outcomes is staggering.
Drug use by adolescents accelerates their transition out of childhood but
does not give them the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and
abilities for a successful transition into adult life. At the very least,
the time adolescents spend under the influence of drugs is time wasted -- a
hiatus in normal development. The reasons underlying youth drug use are as
varied and complex as the society in which we live. However, one
inescapable conclusion from research is that adolescent drug initiation and
continued use are largely functions of negative social influences in
adolescents' lives. Research suggests that compared to previous
generations, adolescents today experience more environmental and social
stressors and less parental guidance.
Compounding the impact of less parental influence is adolescent immersion
in popular culture as conveyed through various media. On average, American
children are exposed to media at least eight hours per day through
television, radio, movies, recorded music, comics, and video games. The
messages that society sends young people about illegal drugs (as well as
alcohol and tobacco) are frequently contradictory. Both media programming
and advertising content tend to portray substance use as common and normal.
For example, by his or her eighteenth birthday, an average adolescent will
have seen 100,000 television commercials for beer and will have watched
65,000 scenes on television depicting beer drinking. Although popular media
depict illicit substances less frequently than alcohol and tobacco, those
depictions often portray illicit substance use as acceptable and "cool." At
the same time, anti-drug messages in the media are dwindling. Free time and
space for drug-prevention public service messages are at a ten-year low.
"Vaccinating" Adolescents Through The Media
Rather than unfairly targeting the entertainment industry as the creator of
a popular culture that sends inappropriate drug messages to youth, we must
recognize that Hollywood writers, producers, and directors are parents,
community leaders, and educators. In the best sense of the word, they are
just like the rest of us. Culture is a joint product that the media
reflects as much as invents. In fact, most mass media in open societies
accurately mirror the image of their society. Blame should not be focused
on a collection of industries that contain some of the most creative people
in our society. Instead, we must appeal to professionals throughout the
communication fields for help in the struggle to save young people from
dangerous drug activity that the media has the power to unmask. While media
companies must respond to the marketplace as do other businesses, most of
them understand that mass media are not simply bystanders. They can play a
unique role in shaping a healthy future.
Dr. David Hamburg, chairman of the Carnegie Council on Adolescent
Development and chief author of its 1995 report "Great Transitions," calls
for families, schools, health care agencies, community organizations, and
the media to "vaccinate" teenagers against the sickness of addiction. The
Carnegie Report -- produced by former Cabinet and Congress members,
scholars, and scientists -- spotlighted early adolescence as the time when
we can take our best shot at preventing lifelong negative habits among the
whole population. Approximately half of all U.S. high school students will
use illegal drugs before they graduate. We see increased drug abuse among
younger children along with violence, suicide, and teen pregnancy. The
media can play a critical role in stemming this terrible tide.
One study showed that youngsters are less likely to turn to addictive drugs
if they have a concerned adult spending time with them. In the wake of
shattered families and the need for two-parent wage earners, the adults
talking to our children frequently reach them through TV, film, video
games, radio, music, the Internet, and advertising. By mid-adolescence,
kids have watched about 15,000 hours of television -- more time than they
spend with teachers in school. Add to that figure the hours devoted to
video games, watching tapes on the VCR, listening to the radio, and
attending movies, and the media's impact becomes primary.
The Changing Nature Of The Media
In facing the challenge of drug abuse, the mass media in the United States
have never been less monolithic. Fragmentation is rampant in the
entertainment industries. Vertical integration of media conglomerates adds
pressure to the marketplace and the creative process. Cable now cuts into
network territory, and competition among stations means that less free air
time is available for public service announcements to combat drug use. The
number of public service announcements (PSAs) that were broadcast has
dropped. Cable companies do not feel the same Federal regulatory
strictures, as do U.S. broadcasters whose licenses include a public service
component. They often have little incentive from local franchise
authorities to provide more than nominal pro bono services. Commercial
forces work against children's programming where positive role models can
be presented because consumers aged 18-49 are targeted as purchasers.
Changes in viewer habits have also worked against drug education. Channel
surfing on a remote control leads TV watchers away from PSAs that punctuate
regular programming. In general, the speed of mass communication mitigates
against exploring an issue carefully since people's attention span
decreases in correlation with shorter, rapid-fire presentation. ABC's Ted
Koppel has noted that over the last several decades, sound bites have gone
down from an average of 22 seconds to 8 seconds. Furthermore, pro-drug
messages are communicated to our children through the most sophisticated,
multimedia techniques while anti-drug forces typically fight back with
bumper stickers: that is, with one-dimensional approaches.
ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Fortunately, the growing awareness of America's parents and the bipartisan
commitment of the U.S. Congress have produced an important response to the
drug dangers facing our youth. The Congress has appropriated $195 million
for the first year of a five-year National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
We are about to undertake a multi-faceted communication campaign that can
"de-normalize" drug use in the minds of youth and empower parents to help
children with this critical problem.
The goals of this campaign are to prevent initiation into drug use and
encourage occasional users to stop. To achieve this end, twelve cities
across the United States began testing anti-drug advertising created by the
Partnership for a Drug-Free America. These ads are aimed at adolescents,
their parents, and other adults who take an active role in guiding children
toward a safe adulthood. We are using mass media advertising in TV, radio,
news publications, outdoor displays, schools, and theaters. Beginning in
mid-July, we will launch such advertising in national markets. We will also
develop other media tools, including the Internet; collaboration with the
entertainment industry; and partnerships with communities, news media, and
corporate entities.
Preliminary campaign results have been encouraging. Experts advise that we
will not see significant behavior change among our audiences for at least
two years. In the meantime, however, we expect heightened awareness and
understanding of the drug problem, followed by shifts in public attitudes.
In the twelve test communities, we find that parents, youth, and community
leaders are showing greatly increased awareness of the drug problem;
clearinghouses for drug-prevention publications have received increases in
public requests; and local anti-drug coalitions are receiving increased
offers of volunteerism, funding, and press exposure. Just as important, we
have asked media companies from whom we buy advertising to offer free
support as well. We are receiving pro bono media contributions whose dollar
value, in many cases, equals 100 percent of the paid advertising.
Integrating The Entertainment Media Into The Campaign
Undeniably, entertainment media have an enormous impact on all of us. Young
people, in particular, are greatly influenced by music, television, cinema,
and interactive media. This constant exposure provides the entertainment
industry with enormous potential for influencing youth attitudes and
behavior in a positive manner. Indeed, many excellent examples can be cited
of responsible depictions of drug use (and other important youth issues) in
all sectors of the entertainment industry. For example, a recent example of
Home Improvement dealt with adolescent marijuana use in a sensitive and
effective fashion. Such efforts should be recognized and commended.
Our campaign encourages the development of entertainment programs that
model healthy adolescent development and effective parenting. Following are
some of ONDCP's guiding principles for collaboration with the entertainment
industry:
Don't place blame. Recognize and commend positive activities on the part of
the industry.
Respect the fact that freedom to be creative is at the core of success for
people and projects in the entertainment industry.
Involve industry leaders and creators of entertainment programming early on
in the process.
Entertainment and sports figures have tremendous appeal to youth and
adults. Such resources should be included in efforts to communicate
anti-drug messages.
Integrating Public Information (News Media) Into The Campaign
News and other information presented by the news media play a special role
in modern society. News-based information is accorded high credibility
because, for the most part, the international news-gathering and reporting
system operates according to the well-developed ethics of modern
journalism. According to many surveys, youth drug use is one of the leading
concerns of both young people and their parents. Consequently, there is
considerable opportunity to work with the news media and communicate
accurate information about drug abuse. Here are some of ONDCP's principles
for public affairs outreach.
Communicate useful information consistently to media that reach specific
target audiences. When necessary, correct errors.
Build and maintain ongoing relationships with regional, national, and
international media.
Creatively pursue both hard news and feature stories that deal with the
truth about drug abuse.
Integrating interactive technologies into the campaign, including the
Internet and other new media
During the past five years, the use of Internet and other new interactive
media has grown at a tremendous rate. For many of us, the Internet has
become an important source of information and entertainment. It can be an
effective way to reach target audiences, and information retrieval by users
can be measured in unprecedented ways. It also provides a powerful tool for
coordinating activity and building collaboration. As many as eighty million
Americans are likely to be "on line" by the end of this year; approximately
half will use the Internet daily. Similarly, more than a third of
adolescents currently use on-line services while 90 percent will have
Internet access through schools by 1999. ONDCP's has four principles for
dealing with interactive media.
Generate Web information with which young people will interact. Recognize
that young people use the Internet as a "social medium."
Offer transactional opportunities to users who are frequently in the
"action mode" when on-line.
Reach target audiences through as many sites as possible.
Extend the reach of the campaign beyond advertising by integrating
mainstream youth Web sites and other digital media such as CD-ROM.
Conclusion
There are two keys for harnessing the full potential of the media in an
effort to prevent drug abuse. The first is an integrated communication plan
that combines advertising and non-advertising activities across the full
spectrum of the media. The second is in the mobilization of civil society
at all levels. To help achieve this latter goal, parents, teachers,
coaches, and religious leaders must ensure that local media representatives
understand how the drug problem affects communities and how an anti-drug
campaign can help everyone. Corporations whose productivity depends on
healthy, drug-free employees can lend financial backing as well as public
endorsement.
Leaders in the entertainment and sports industries and others whose
influence reaches every neighborhood and country can play a role in
safeguarding our most precious resource: our children. The U.S. National
Drug Control Strategy articulates the priority given to protecting
sixty-eight million children from toxic, addictive substances. Our National
Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign recognizes the centrality of the media in
any national effort to educate the next generation about the dangers
associated with underage drinking and smoking, abuse of psychoactive
substances, and all illegal drugs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Clinton Urges International Stand Against Drugs (A Different
'Associated Press' Version)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 00:29:23 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Wire: Clinton Urges International Stand Against Drugs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Pubdate: Tue, 9 Jun 1998
Source: Associated Press
CLINTON URGES INTERNATIONAL STAND AGAINST DRUGS
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Armed with plans for a $2 billion media campaign to
help stanch the flow of narcotics across international borders, President
Clinton today asked world leaders to ``stand as one against this threat''
without blaming each other for the problem.
In an opening address at the U.N. General Assembly special session on drugs,
Clinton told representatives of about 150 countries, including 35 heads of
state and government, that it is time to stop bickering over whether blame
for international drug trafficking lies with countries that demand drugs or
those that supply them.
``Pointing fingers is distracting,'' Clinton said. ``It does not dismantle a
single cartel, help a single addict, prevent a single child from trying --
and perhaps dying -- from heroin. Besides, the lines between countries that
are supply countries, demand countries and transit countries are
increasingly blurred. Drugs are every nation's problem.''
Clinton said a $2 billion, five-year media campaign against drugs would be
launched in the United States, targeting young people with a message that
``drugs destroy young lives, don't let it destroy yours.'' Similar campaigns
will be launched in Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil, Clinton said, adding that
he discussed the issue with Brazilian President Cardoso on Sunday.
To emphasize the importance Clinton placed on the anti-drug effort, he
brought along Attorney General Janet Reno; his drug policy adviser, Gen.
Barry McCaffrey; Latin American envoy Mack McLarty; and Health and Human
Services Secretary Donna Shalala. They attended the U.N. session and briefed
reporters afterward.
Congress will be asked to provide $175 million of the $2 billion for the
media campaign, with the rest coming from businesses and philanthropic
organizations, said national security adviser Sandy Berger.
The money will be used for public service advertisements and a ``virtual
university'' for preventing and treating substance abuse, using the Internet
and other media for discussions on reducing the drug supply and the demand
that feeds it, Berger said.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who met privately with Clinton before the
session, called the drug scourge ``a tragic reality'' and appealed to member
nations to work seriously on finding common ground on fighting drugs.
``It is my hope that when historians study the work of humankind in drug
control they will write about the next few days as the point at which this
trend was reversed,'' Annan said. ``We must never give in to the human toll
illegal drugs are taking on our societies.''
Clinton reported a 49 percent drop in overall U.S. drug use since 1979 and a
70 percent decrease since 1985. Changing young people's attitudes is
necessary if that trend is to continue, he said, adding he would ask
Congress to extend the anti-drug push until 2002.
Calling drug interdiction ``ultimately a struggle for human freedom,''
Clinton said all nations must work on reducing coca and opium poppy
production by 2008 to ensure reduction in both the supply of and demand for
drugs. ``We will do our part in the United States to make this goal a
reality,'' he said.
He pledged a crackdown on money laundering with other nations that will
``extend the long arm of the law, as well as the hand of compassion, to
match the global reach of the problem.''
``No nation is so large and powerful that it can conquer drugs alone. None
is too small to make a difference. All share a responsibility to take up the
battle,'' Clinton said. ``Therefore, we will stand as one against this
threat to our security and our future.''
He also advanced his own proposal for containing other international
threats, such as terrorism, illegal immigration, trafficking in people and
global crime rings that are a threat to newer, weaker democracies. He made
the proposal last month before the Birmingham, England, annual summit of the
world's eight largest industrialized nations.
Among those listening to Clinton today were Presidents Jacques Chirac of
France, Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Rafael Caldera of Venezuela, Alberto
Fujimori of Peru, Hugo Banzer of Bolivia and Ernesto Samper of Colombia.
In his remarks, Zedillo called for a ``balanced strategy'' to combat drug
trafficking ``so that no one can become the judge of others and no one feels
entitled to violate other countries' laws for the sake of enforcing its own.''
This is a clear reference to the controversy over ``Operation Casablanca,''
a major U.S. money-laundering sting that led to the arrests last month of 42
people -- including about two dozen Mexican bankers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Clinton Unveils $2 Billion Blitz Against Drugs ('Chicago Tribune' Version)
Date: Mon, 08 Jun 1998 23:55:33 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Clinton Unveils $2 Billion Blitz Against Drugs
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Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
CLINTON UNVEILS $2 BILLION BLITZ AGAINST DRUGS
UNITED NATIONS -- In the war on drugs, it's usually poppy-growing peasants,
machine-gun-toting drug lords and money-laundering bankers who get most of
the heat.
But if President Bill Clinton and the United Nations have their way,
ordinary Americans will be hearing a lot more about the pernicious effects
of illegal drugs. The president on Monday unveiled a five-year, $2 billion
anti-drug media blitz as the U.S. contribution to a new UN program to combat
worldwide drug trafficking.
Clinton's pledge to pump up public pronouncements against illegal drugs
opened a three-day, UN-sponsored conference that for the first time is
putting the spotlight on the high-income, drug-consuming countries of the
world. Usually at these gatherings, it is the drug-producing countries of
Latin America and Asia that get most of the attention.
But an over-reliance on drug interdiction strategies has come under fire
from developing countries in recent years. Such strategies, they say, fail
to eliminate the ultimate cause of the worldwide drug problem: the drug abuser.
``Demand reduction creates a balanced approach,'' UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan told the conference. ``It creates for the first time a responsibility
for nations where consumption is a problem as well as where production is a
problem.''
Most consumers of illegal drugs reside in the advanced, industrialized
nations of North America and Western Europe. It is their demand -- though it
is reported to be shrinking -- that fuels the worldwide drug trade.
Drug use is down in the U.S., according to official statistics, but
Americans still spend an estimated $57 billion every year on illegal drugs.
The number of drug users in the U.S. between 1979 and 1996 fell from an
estimated 25.4 million to 13.0 million, a 49 percent decline. Cocaine usage
has plummeted 70 percent to 1.7 million people in the same period, according
to official studies.
The focus on drug-consuming nations comes after months of controversy
surrounding existing U.S.-sponsored anti-drug programs, which are running a
$16 billion-a-year tab. The Clinton administration has proposed pushing it
to $17.1 billion next year.
Last month's indictment and arrest of more than 150 Mexican and U.S. bankers
and business leaders was criticized by Mexican authorities, who were not
notified until the day of the arrests about the three-year undercover operation.
Clinton attempted to smooth the flap by admitting that angry debates between
drug-supplying and drug-consuming nations had not advanced the fight against
drugs. ``Pointing fingers won't dismantle a single cartel, help a single
addict or prevent a single kid from trying heroin,'' he said. ``The lines
between supply, demand and transit countries are increasingly blurred.''
In addition to the anti-drug advertising campaign, Clinton said the U.S.
would give an additional 20 countries aid in tracking the laundering of drug
profits. He also unveiled an international drug fellowship program, in which
law enforcement officials from around the world will visit the U.S. to work
with its drug enforcement agencies.
The total UN program that is expected to be adopted later this week was
hammered out in Vienna last March. It calls for a 10-year anti-drug program
under the auspices of a new UN Drug Control Program. The program will be run
by Italian sociologist-turned-crime-syndicate-fighter Pino Arlacchi, who is
credited with locking up more than 200 Mafiosi in his own country.
Arlacchi wants $5 billion for the program, which aims to ``achieve
significant and measurable results in demand reduction by the year 2008.''
As outlined in the final declaration, the program encourages countries to
emphasize treatment, education, aftercare, rehabilitation and social
reintegration for their drug abusers, ``either as an alternative to
conviction or punishment or in addition to punishment.''
But like the U.S. program, the UN program still places a heavy emphasis on
traditional interdiction efforts, with special attention given to
amphetamines. The report estimated that 30 million people worldwide abuse
such drugs, making them the fastest-growing category of illegal drugs. That
compares to 8 million heroin addicts, 13 million cocaine abusers and 140
million marijuana abusers.
Delegates to the conference, which drew representatives from 150 nations as
well as 30 world leaders, were greeted by a two-page open letter in the New
York Times attacking the new UN program. It was signed by dozens of former
Latin American mayors, police chiefs and federal judges as well as financier
George Soros, who provides support for groups opposed to drug wars based on
interdiction and criminalization.
``The bottom line is that (the UN program) is the same old policies,'' said
Ethan Nadelmann, director of the Lindesmith Center, the drug policy research
institute that coordinated the letter-signing campaign. ``People have been
trying to reduce demand for many, many years and the treatment they come up
with is putting people behind bars.''
The group supports alternative approaches such as legalization and methadone
treatment for addicts.
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, who attended Monday's
session, lashed out at opponents of U.S. drug policy. ``It's
pseudo-intellectualism,'' she said. ``There is no scientific evidence that
these drugs aren't harmful and don't lead to deleterious social effects.''
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Clinton Calls For Global War On Drugs ('Boston Globe'
Version Notes Clinton Stopped Short Of Promising Funds
For The United Nations' 10-Year Campaign To Eradicate
Coca And Poppy Plants From The Face Of The Earth)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 12:24:04 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US GE: Clinton Calls For Global War On Drugs
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Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: emr@javanet.com (Dick Evans)
Pubdate: Tue, 9 Jun 1998
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Contact: letters@globe.com
Website: http://www.boston.com/globe/
Author: Colum Lynch, Globe Correspondent
CLINTON CALLS FOR GLOBAL WAR ON DRUGS
Stops short of promising funds for 10-year UN campaign
President Clinton yesterday conceded the limits of US power in fighting
drugs, and endorsed a 10-year, multibillion-dollar UN antinarcotics program.
But he stopped short of giving the UN more money until it comes up
with a more detailed plan of action. ''No nation is so large and
powerful that it can conquer drugs alone.
None is too small to make a difference,'' Clinton said at a gathering
of 150 world leaders at the opening of a UN meeting on illicit drugs.
''All share a responsibility to take up the battle.
Therefore, we will stand as one against this threat to our security
and our future.'' The three-day summit presented an opportunity for
the United Nations to take center stage in the drug war. But it dealt
a temporary blow to the UN's top drug official, Pino Arlacchi, who is
seeking as much as $5 billion in financing over the next decade to
destroy the world's production of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
Senior US officials say Arlacchi's plan has merit, particularly in
combating drug cultivation in Afghanistan and Burma, where more than
80 percent of the world's opium is produced and US influence is limited.
But they remain leery of pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into
counter-narcotic programs in corrupt and repressive nations where the
lines between the governments and the drug cartels are often fuzzy.
''In principle we are supportive of his plan,'' said one senior US
official. ''But the US shares the view with other governments and
observers that more details are needed.'' In his address before the
UN General Assembly yesterday, Clinton also pledged to raise $2
billion in public and private money to fund an antidrug media campaign
targeted at children in the United States. And he appealed to world
leaders to join with the United States in the drug war and end years
of quarreling over whether rich consumers or producers in poor nations
are to blame for the worldwide drug abuse. ''Pointing fingers is
distracting,'' Clinton said. ''It does not dismantle a single cartel,
help a single addict, prevent a single child from trying - and perhaps
dying - from heroin.
Besides, the lines between countries that are supply countries, demand
countries and transit countries are increasingly blurred.
Drugs are every nation's problem.'' Still, the United States came
under heavy criticism from Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. Zedillo's
fuming over a secret US sting operation that captured more than 50
suspected drug launderers - most of them Mexicans - and handed up
indictments against a number of leading Mexican banks. The undercover
sting, dubbed Operation Casablanca, was carried out in Mexico without
the knowledge of the Mexican government. ''We must all respect the
sovereignty of each nation so that no one can become the judge of
others and no one feels entitled to violate other countries' laws for
the sake of enforcing its own,'' Zedillo said in a transparent
reference to the US operation. A UN survey of global narcotics
production found that drug use is up in the past decade to more than
200 million people. Illegal production of opium poppies, used to make
heroin, has tripled since 1985. Cultivation of coca, for cocaine, has
doubled. Arlachi's plan, currently under discussion in New York,
contains six major goals: To significantly reduce global cultivation
of illicit drugs through intensified law enforcement and crop
substitution programs. To regulate the sale of chemical ingredients
used in the production of illegal narcotics by the year 2008. To set
a five-year date for eliminating amphetamine abuse. To streamline
extradition procedures and reform courts by the year 2003. To
strengthen laws to combat money laundering. To fund drug-treatment
programs and promote national antidrug education campaigns.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
No Truce In Drug-Blame War At UN ('The Washington Post' Version
Notes Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo Brushed Aside
US President Clinton's Call To Stop 'Pointing Fingers'
And Rebuked The United States Sharply For Allegedly Violating
His Country's Laws With An Undercover Money-Laundering Operation
That Has Become A Major Diplomatic Dispute Between The Two Neighbors)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 22:58:00 -0400
To: DrugSense News Service
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US GE: WP: No Truce in Drug-Blame War At U.N.
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Richard Lake
Source: Washington Post
Authors: John M. Goshko & Douglas Farah, Washington Post Staff Writers
Page: FRONT PAGE
Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
NO TRUCE IN DRUG-BLAME WAR AT U.N.
Mexico Dismisses Clinton Call for End to Criticism
UNITED NATIONS, June 8-President Clinton today urged drug-producing and
drug-consuming countries to stop blaming each other for the international
narcotics trade and join in a concerted effort to reduce from 190 million
the number of people worldwide who use illegal drugs.
But in a reminder of the disagreements that trouble even nominal allies in
anti-drug efforts, Clinton's call to stop "pointing fingers" was brushed
aside by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. He rebuked the United States
sharply for allegedly violating his country's laws with an undercover
money-laundering operation that has become a major diplomatic dispute
between the two neighbors.
Clinton made his plea to presidents, prime ministers and cabinet officers
of 150 nations attending a U.N. drug conference. The president also
announced a $2 billion, five-year media campaign that would target American
youth with the message that "drugs destroy young lives, don't let it
destroy yours."
In his keynote speech, Clinton tried to steer around traditional arguments
about whether illicit drug traffic is more the fault of largely Third World
countries that derive great profits by producing the raw materials of drugs
such as heroin and cocaine or industrial states such as the United States
with enormous numbers of addicts.
"The debate between drug-supplying and drug-consuming nations about whose
responsibility the drug problem is has gone on too long," Clinton said.
"Let's be frank -- this debate has not advanced the fight against drugs.
Pointing fingers is distracting. It does not dismantle a single cartel,
help a single addict, prevent a single child from trying and perhaps dying
from heroin. . . . Drugs are every nation's problem, and every nation must
act to fight them -- on the streets, around the kitchen table and around
the world."
But the nods of approval that greeted Clinton's appeal did not disguise the
fact that some of the countries participating in the conference --
particularly in Latin America and Asia -- are places where some senior
officials are engaged in protecting illicit drug trafficking and where, as
apparently was the case in Mexico, suspicion between U.S. and local law
enforcement officials frequently hampers effective cooperation.
While Clinton praised Zedillo both for taking the lead role in initiating
the conference and for Mexico's recent anti-trafficking successes, the
Mexican president, who spoke immediately after Clinton, responded with
words unmistakably aimed at the United States.
"We have the right to demand a balanced strategy," Zedillo said. "Balanced
so that each country assumes that in the fight against drug trafficking, we
are all co-responsible, with the same rights and obligations. We must all
respect the sovereignty of each nation so that no one can become the judge
of others; and no one feels entitled to violate the other countries' laws
for the sake of enforcing its own."
Zedillo was apparently referring to a sting operation revealed last month,
codenamed Operation Casablanca, in which U.S. narcotics agents conducted a
covert investigation inside Mexico and then lured Mexican bankers to a fake
casino in the United States. In the aftermath, some 150 people were
arrested, $110 million was seized, and three Mexican banks were indicted in
the United States.
The decision by U.S. authorities to conceal the operation from Mexican
officials has touched off a wave of intense anger in Mexico. Mexico has
called for the extradition of U.S. customs agents involved in the sting.
The situation has been aggravated by publication in Mexico of a letter to
Zedillo from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) expressing "deep
disappointment" over the Mexican attitude and accusing Mexico of "broken
promises" in the drug war.
Later Clinton and Zedillo met in an effort to smooth over differences about
the operation and issued a joint statement saying that combating drugs is
"best accomplished through improved cooperation and mutual trust, with full
respect for the sovereignty of both nations." James Dobbins of the National
Security Council said there had been no discussion of extradition of U.S.
agents and added that Zedillo told Clinton that the Mexican attorney
general's office was investigating to determine whether U.S. authorities
had broken any Mexican laws.
Acrimony over Operation Casablanca overshadowed other parts of Clinton's
message, which included the large anti-drug publicity program. U.S.
officials said Congress will be asked to provide $175 million of the $2
billion, with the rest coming from businesses and philanthropies.
The conference is set to take up for discussion a controversial plan for
anti-narcotics efforts evolved by Pino Arlacchi, the chief U.N.
counternarcotics official. The plan would induce farmers in nine
drug-producing countries to switch to legal crops.
However, U.S. officials have made known that the United States almost
certainly would refuse to give money to at least two of these countries:
Myanmar, formerly Burma, because of its repressive regime, and Afghanistan,
where Muslim fundamentalists have repressed women's rights.
In what appeared to be a recognition that U.S. opposition is irreversible,
Arlacchi, in talking with reporters, said there were no plans to give these
two countries large amounts of money until they made fundamental political
changes. Burhanuddin Rabbani, the president of the Taliban, which controls
much of Afghanistan, addressed the conference today without addressing this
point.
President Ernesto Samper of Colombia, another country that would receive
funds under the Arlacchi plan, said in his address that no country had done
more than his to combat the international drug trade. Samper's U.S. visa
was revoked two years ago because of evidence he took $6 million from the
Cali cocaine cartel for his 1994 election campaign.
"No other country has done more, and under more lonely circumstances,"
Samper said, adding that drug trafficking "once and for all" had to be
recognized internationally as a multilateral problem.
(c) Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Clinton Calls For Less Finger-Pointing In War On Drugs
('The New York Times' Version)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 11:13:09 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Clinton Calls For Less Finger-Pointing In War On Drugs
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Newshawk: emr@javanet.com (Dick Evans)
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: New York Times (NY)
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Author: Christoper S. Wren
CLINTON CALLS FOR LESS FINGER-POINTING IN WAR ON DRUGS
UNITED NATIONS -- President Clinton said Monday that the debate over who
bears responsibility for the world's drug problems has gone on too long and
called for drug-producing and consuming countries to cooperate in stanching
the supply and demand for illegal drugs.
Addressing a special summit-level session of the General Assembly convened
to discuss ways to counter drug trafficking and use, Clinton said that
pointing fingers has not advanced the fight against drugs. "It does not
dismantle a single cartel, help a single addict, prevent a single child from
trying and perhaps dying from heroin," Clinton said. Clinton said that the
lines between countries that produce, transit and consume drugs have
blurred. "Drugs are every nation's problem, and every nation must act to
fight them," he said."
But Clinton heard a blunt rejoinder from President Ernesto Zedillo of
Mexico, who is still fuming over an American undercover operation that led
to the indictment of 26 Mexican bankers last month on charges of laundering
more than $110 million in drug profits. Mexican officials were not informed
of the investigation, apparently for fear that it would jeopardize the plan
and the safety of American agents inside Mexico.
Zedillo said Monday that all countries share the same rights and obligations
to fight drug trafficking. "We all must respect the sovereignty of each
nation so that no one becomes a judge of others, so that no one feels
entitled to violate other countries' laws for the sake of enforcing its
own," he said.
While a overwhelming part of the world's demand for drugs comes from
"countries with the largest economic capacity," Zedillo said, "the human,
social and institutional costs in meeting such demands is paid for by the
producing and transit countries.
"It is our men and women who die first in combatting drug trafficking," he
said. "It is our communities that are first to suffer from violence, our
institutions that are first to be undermined by corruption. It is our
governments that are the first to have to shift valuable resources needed to
fight poverty to serve as the first bulwark in this war." The president of
the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez, said the problem was rooted in the
law of supply and demand. "The demand is what makes the existence of the
market possible," Fernandez said, explaining that the illegal trade it
creates is highly profitable and attractive. He cited an intelligence
estimate that 33 percent of the drugs smuggled into the United States from
South America passes through the Caribbean, and 15 percent specifically
through the island of Hispanola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican
Republic.
Prominent among other voices pressing to reduce demand was Britain's deputy
prime minister, John Prescott, who spoke on behalf of the European Union.
"It is no use stopping opium cultivation in one place just to see more grown
elsewhere," Prescott said. "We gain nothing by closing one trafficking route
to see another opened."
President Jacques Chirac of France urged a counterattack on every front.
"Drug elimination cannot be left to a single category of country, whether it
be producer or consumer," Chirac said. "Supply and demand must be reduced
simultaneously."
In his address, Clinton said his administration will request an anti-drug
federal budget exceeding $17 billion for next fiscal year, of which $6
billion will be earmarked for reducing demand.
In announcing several smaller initiatives, he said he would ask Congress to
extend a new advertising campaign to discourage children from using drugs.
The program got under way last fall with an initial $195 million budget, but
Clinton promised to expand this to a $2 billion campaign through 2002, with
part of the money donated by the private sector.
The General Assembly session on reducing production, trafficking and use of
illegal drugs, the first in 10 years to be devoted entirely to the subject,
was initially proposed by Mexico, which has become a transit route for more
than half of the cocaine smuggled into the United States.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
US-Mexico Drug Statement Tinged With Acrimony ('Los Angeles Times' Version)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 16:54:00 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: U.S.-Mexico Drug Statement Tinged With Acrimony
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Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Author: Stanley Meisler, Jonathan Peterson, Times Staff Writers
U.S.-MEXICO DRUG STATEMENT TINGED WITH ACRIMONY
Narcotics: Controversial sting operation is alluded to in comments from
presidents at U.N. special summit.
UNITED NATIONS--After exchanging barbs in public over a controversial U.S.
sting operation on Mexican soil, President Clinton and Mexican President
Ernesto Zedillo met in private Monday and issued a statement pledging
"improved cooperation and mutual trust with full respect for the sovereignty
of both nations."
But the statement contained no American apology for Operation Casablanca,
the money-laundering sting, nor any Mexican promise to refrain from
attempting to prosecute U.S. operatives who carried it out on Mexican territory.
Obviously prompted by bickering between the governments over the three-year
sting, Clinton told a special summit of the U.N. General Assembly that the
argument between countries that produce drugs and countries that consume
drugs "has gone on too long" and must end.
"Let's be frank," Clinton said, "this debate has not advanced the fight
against drugs. Pointing fingers is distracting. It does not dismantle a
single cartel, help a single addict, prevent a single child from trying and
perhaps dying from heroin."
But Zedillo, in a speech tinged with bitterness over the covert U.S.
operation that led to the indictment of 26 Mexican bankers last month, said
that, in the war on drugs, all countries "must respect the sovereignty of
each nation."
"No one country can become the judge of others," he said. "No one should
feel entitled to violate the laws of other countries for the sake of
enforcing its own."
Zedillo, hailed by Clinton and other leaders for conceiving the idea of the
special session on how to combat narcotics, was clearly referring to Mexican
charges that U.S. agents broke Mexican law by staging the operation within
Mexican territory.
* * * Clinton and Zedillo then met with aides briefly and alone for 25
minutes in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, finally issuing a two-page statement
that alluded to the operation without naming it. The two presidents, the
statement said, "agreed to strengthen mechanisms in their countries to deal
with anti-drug and money-laundering efforts and to improve cooperation,
communication and information exchange between both governments."
At a news conference, U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno defended the secrecy of the
operation as a means to protect the American operatives. "It is not a matter
of disrespect," she said. "It is a matter of trying to . . . conduct an
investigation . . . while at the same time protecting the lives of the
agents involved."
Twenty-nine heads of state and government are to address the General
Assembly before its 185 members on Wednesday adopt a declaration committing
themselves to "strategies to reduce both the illicit supply and demand of
drugs." The declaration was worked out in a year of preparatory meetings
guided by Pino Arlacchi, a U.N. undersecretary-general who is executive
director of the U.N. Office for Drug Control. Arlacchi, a former Italian
senator who led his government's campaign against the Mafia, insists that
the war on drugs can be won if consuming countries reduce demand and
producing countries encourage alternative crops for farmers who now sell
narcotic plants to the drug cartels.
U.S. officials are wary of some of Arlacchi's ideas because of the potential
cost and because he has proposed funding of alternative crop projects in
Myanmar, the former Burma, now ruled by a repressive military regime, and
Afghanistan, a country largely ruled by the Taliban Islamic fundamentalists,
who have deprived women of many rights. The two countries produce 90% of the
plants used in the illegal opium market.
But the declaration due for adoption Wednesday avoids specifics, calling
instead for "cooperation in alternative development" and for a significant
reduction in opium poppy and coca plant cultivation by 2008.
This generalized proposal let Clinton, despite misgivings among some of his
aides about the details, tell the General Assembly, "We will do our part in
the United States to make this goal a reality."
* * * Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug
Control Policy, told a news conference that the United States is "absolutely
supportive" of Arlacchi's "visionary thinking." But the American anti-drug
czar added that the detailed plan for putting in force the U.N.
anti-narcotics strategy "is not on the table yet."
Delegates to the special session of the General Assembly were surprised to
find an open letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan as part of a two-page
advertisement in the New York Times. The letter, whose signatories included
many prominent figures such as former U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de
Cuellar and former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz, contended that
"the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."
Although those who signed did not call directly for legalization of drugs,
they insisted that "persisting in our current policies will only result in
more drug abuse, more empowerment of drug markets and criminals and more
disease and suffering."
Copyright Los Angeles Times
-------------------------------------------------------------------
US, UN Add Users To Targets In Drug War ('Chicago Tribune' Account
Of The United Nations Special Assembly On Drugs Notes Clinton's Pledge
For A Five-Year, $2 Billion Anti-Drug Media Blitz Shows That
The United Nations For The First Time Is Putting The Spotlight
On The High-Income, Drug-Consuming Countries Of The World
Rather Than The Drug-Producing Countries In South America And Asia)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 10:42:32 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US GE: U.S., UN Add Users To Targets In Drug War
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Newshawk: Steve Young
Pubdate: 09 June 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Section: Sec. 1, page
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Author: Merrill Goozner
U.S., UN ADD USERS TO TARGETS IN DRUG WAR
NEW YORK -- In the war on drugs, it is usually poppy-growing peasants,
machine gun-toting druglords and money-laundering bankers that get most of
the heat.
But if President Clinton and the United Nations have their way, ordinary
Americans will be hearing a lot more about the pernicious effects of
illegal drugs. The president on Monday unveiled plans for a five-year, $2
billion anti-drug media blitz as the U.S. contribution to a new UN program
to combat worldwide drug trafficking.
Clinton's pledge to pump up public pronouncements against illegal drugs
opened a three-day, UN-sponsored conference that for the first time is
putting the spotlight on the high-income, drug-consuming countries of the
world. Usually at these gatherings, it is the drug-producing countries in
Latin America and Asia that get most of the attention.
An over-reliance on drug interdiction strategies has come under fire from
developing countries in recent years. They say such strategies fail to
eliminate the ultimate cause of the worldwide drug problem: the drug user.
"Demand reduction creates a balanced approach," UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan told the conference. "It creates for the first time a responsibility
for nations where consumption is a problem as well as where production is a
problem."
Most consumers of illegal drugs reside in the industrialized nations of
North America and Western Europe. Though it reportedly is shrinking, their
demand fuels the worldwide drug trade.
Drug use is down in the U.S., according to official statistics, but
Americans still spend an estimated $57 billion every year on illegal drugs.
The number of drug users in the U.S. between 1979 and 1996 fell from an
estimated 25.4 million to 13.0 million, a 49 percent decline. Cocaine use
has plummeted 70 percent to 1.7 million people in the same period,
according to official studies.
The focus on drug-consuming nations comes after months of controversy
surrounding existing U.S.-sponsored anti-drug programs, which cost $16
billion a year. The Clinton administration has proposed pushing the tab to
$17.1 billion next year.
Last month's indictment and arrest of more than 150 Mexican and U.S.
bankers and business leaders was criticized by Mexican authorities, who
were not notified until the day of the arrests about the three-year
undercover operation.
Clinton attempted to smooth the flap by admitting that angry debates
between drug-supplying and drug-consuming nations had not advanced the
fight against drugs.
"Pointing fingers won't dismantle a single cartel, help a single addict or
prevent a single kid from trying heroin," he said. "The lines between
supply, demand and transit countries are increasingly blurred."
In addition to the anti-drug advertising campaign, Clinton said the U.S.
would give an additional 20 countries aid in tracking the laundering of
drug profits. He also unveiled an international drug fellowship program, in
which law enforcement officials from around the world will visit the U.S.
to work with its drug enforcement agencies.
The UN program that is expected to be adopted later this week was hammered
out in Vienna last March. It calls for a 10-year anti-drug program under
the auspices of a new UN Drug Control Program.
The program will be run by Italian
sociologist-turned-crime-syndicate-fighter Pino Arlacchi, who is credited
with locking up more than 200 Mafiosi in his own country.
Arlacchi wants $5 billion for the program, which aims to "achieve
significant and measurable results in demand reduction by the year 2008."
As outlined in the final declaration, the program encourages countries to
emphasize treatment, education, after-care, rehabilitation and social
reintegration for their drug users, "either as an alternative to conviction
or punishment or in addition to punishment."
Like the U.S. program, the UN plan places a heavy emphasis on traditional
interdiction efforts, with special attention given to amphetamines.
The report estimated that 30 million people worldwide abuse such drugs,
making them the fastest-growing category of illegal drugs.
That compares to 8 million heroin addicts, 13 million cocaine abusers and
140 million marijuana abusers.
Delegates to the conference, which drew representatives from 150 nations
and 30 world leaders, were greeted by a two-page open letter in the New
York Times attacking the new UN program.
It was signed by dozens of former Latin American mayors, police chiefs and
federal judges as well as financier George Soros, who provides support for
groups opposed to drug wars based on interdiction and criminalization.
"The bottom line is that (the UN program) is the same old policies," said
Ethan Nadelmann, director of the Lindesmith Center, the drug policy
research institute that coordinated the letter-signing campaign. "People
have been trying to reduce demand for many, many years, and the treatment
they come up with is putting people behind bars."
The group supports alternative approaches such as legalization and
methadone treatment for addicts.
Health Secretary Donna Shalala, who attended Monday's session, lashed out
at opponents of U.S. drug policy.
"It's pseudo-intellectualism," she said. "There is no scientific evidence
that these drugs aren't harmful and don't lead to deleterious social
effects."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
New `War On Drugs' Has Familiar Ring ('Ottawa Citizen' Version)
From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
Subject: Canada: GE: New `war on drugs' has familiar ring
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 11:01:44 -0700
Lines: 107
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: Ottawa Citizen
Contact: letters@thecitizen.southam.ca
Pubdate: Tue 09 Jun 1998
Section: News A1 / Front
Author: Mike Trickey
New `war on drugs' has familiar ring
Clinton pledges $2 billion as UN launches heavily criticized effort
UNITED NATIONS -- Representatives from more than 150 countries have
come together for a three-day special conference again declaring an
international war on drugs, but the message has changed little from
the ``just say no'' mantra of Ronald Reagan's White House.
The UN convened a similar conference in 1990, in which the '90s were
declared the Decade Against Drugs and which pledged to rid the planet
of illicit drugs by 1995.
This time, with the level of drug production and profits at an
all-time high, the goal is to unite disjointed national efforts and
eradicate drugs by 2008.
``The problem is great in scope and consequence, eroding the
foundation of democracies, corrupting the integrity of market
economies and menacing the lives, hopes and future of families on
every continent,'' said U.S. President Bill Clinton in the opening
address.
``But our nations have shown, through individual and collective
effort, that we can turn this evil tide.''
Others are not so sure.
More than 1,000 people, prominent in their own countries or globally,
signed a petition calling on the UN to re-examine what they call a
failed course of action and embark on a new direction of drug control
efforts.
The petition -- whose signatories include former UN secretary general
Javier Perez de Cuellar, former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz,
former head of Scotland Yard's drug squad Edward Ellison, as well as
NDP Leader Alexa McDonough, Senator Sharon Carstairs and former Ottawa
mayor Marion Dewar -- argues that ``the global war on drugs is now
causing more harm than drug abuse itself.''
They suggest decriminalizing and regulating some drugs, particularly
marijuana, and focusing on a program of reducing drugs through
prevention, education, treatment and community programs.
Clinton defended of the effectiveness of the U.S. policy of law
enforcement, prosecution and incarceration, noting that Americans are
spending 37 per cent less on drugs than they were a decade ago.
However, Dr. Diane Riley of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy,
says Clinton is just playing with numbers.
``Of course Americans are spending less on drugs,'' she said, after a
session of a non-governmental organization meeting being held opposite
the official UN conference.
``The price of drugs has gone down.''
That drug prices are sharply down from a decade ago is an indication
that the traditional U.S. approach is failing. If the amount of drugs
available were being significantly reduced, supply-and-demand
economics would dictate the street price should be climbing.
However, Mathea Falco, president of the non-profit research institute
Drug Strategies and a former assistant secretary of state for
international narcotics matters, says that is not the case.
She says the retail price of heroin has dropped by more than half
since 1981 while its purity is three times what it was then. As well,
the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content of high-grade marijuana is more
than 10 times what it was in the early 1970s while prices, which
climbed through the last part of the 1980s, have dropped back to the
level of the lower-grade grass sold in the early `80s.
U.S. officials, though declaring themselves ``enormously proud'' of
their pursuit of international drug criminals and Clinton's statement
that next year's federal budget will include a record $17 billion US
for the fight -- about two-thirds on enforcement and prosecution --
admit some changes are needed.
Clinton announced a new five-year, $2-billion media campaign aimed at
discouraging young people from drug use will be launched next month
and he admitted the flaws in the traditional U.S. argument that it had
a problem with drug users while other countries had a problem of drug
producers.
However, his administration is adamant there will be no relaxation of
drug laws.
``There is no such thing as a soft drug and there is no such thing as
a drug that is illegal that is not dangerous,'' said Health Secretary
Donna Shalala. ``New research on marijuana, in particular, makes that
very clear.''
She and U.S. drug ``czar'' Barry McCaffrey dismissed petition
signatories as members of the ``intellectual, literary and academic
community'' engaging in pseudo-science.
``There is no way they can make their case,'' said Shalala. ``There is
no scientific basis for their claims. Just because they have enough
money to make it fashionable doesn't make it right.''
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Drug Crackdown Defies Skepticism (The Toronto 'Globe And Mail'
Notes The UN General Assembly Special Session To Expand The Global War
On Some Drug Users Was Met With An Open Letter Calling For An End
To The War, Signed By More Than 600 World Leaders)
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 11:59:27 -0400
From: Carey Ker
Subject: Canada GE: Drug crackdown defies skepticism
To: mattalk@islandnet.com
Newshawk: carey.ker@utoronto.ca
Source: The Globe and Mail, page A11
Contact: letters@globeandmail.ca
Pubdate: Tuesday, June 09, 1998
Drug crackdown defies skepticism
World leaders press for punitive measures, public doubt unheeded at UN
conference
By Timothy Appleby
The Globe and Mail
TORONTO -- Futile, harmful and costly though it may be, in the eyes of a swelling
legion of critics, the "war on drugs" looks set to run for at least a few more years.
But the battleground -- the hearts and minds of Western voters who ultimately
pick up the huge tab -- may be undergoing something of a transformation.
As a special United Nations conference on drugs opened in New York yesterday,
a long, diverse list of high profile international figures (more than 600)
delivered an open letter urging the reappraisal of traditional tactics,
arguing that the antinarcotics fight is causing more damage than the drugs
themselves.
Canadian signatories include New Democratic Party Leader Alexa McDonough;
Perry Kendall, former head of the Addiction Research Foundation; Nobel
Prize-winning chemist John Polanyi; lawyers Clayton Ruby and Edward
Greenspan; former Ottawa mayor Marion Dewar; and a dozen MPs, including New
Democrat Libby Davies.
"The war on drugs has been an abysmal failure, it's a war on people not a war
on drugs," said Ms. Davies, whose Vancouver East constituency has the
highest number of addicts in Canada.
"We literally have people dying in my constituency, and this kind of
approach - hiring more cops - is not working. That's why I'm here [in New
York]."
Few foresee any quick change to the status quo. Certainly there was no
indication of one at the UN conference yesterday.
Even as the petition was submitted, the world's most powerful leaders were
making it clear that it's business as usual. Indeed more so than ever.
The three-day session, whose twin aims are to cut consumption amongst the
world's estimated 218 million drug users by the year 2008, and reduce
cultivation of the coca bush, the opium poppy and the cannabis plant, was
opened by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who urged delegates to endorse
a new global assault on drugs.
"It is time for every nation to say 'No' to drugs," he said.
Then, U.S. President Bill Clinton called on the forum to "stand as one
against this threat.... Drugs are every nation's problem, and every nation
must act to fight then. Together, we must extend the long arm of the law."
Equally anxious to renew the battle are such powerful figures as French
President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, which has
the highest rate of drug abuse in Europe.
"We attach great importance to and are very concerned about the comeback of
drugs in China and have taken a series of firm counter measures," China's
delegate, state counsellor Luo Gan, told the conference.
Between $4.3-billion and $5.8-billion in additional drug-fighting funds are
expected to be authorized by the end of the conference.
However, to an eclectic band of critics, who echo a collective opinion heard
for years in such countries as the Netherlands and Switzerland, it all
amounts to throwing good money after bad.
Among those unimpressed by the tough talk is Mr. Kendall, whose three years
at the head of the ARF - Canada's largest drugs-and-alcohol think-tank -
reinforced his view that drug abuse is primarily a medical and social problem
rather than a criminal one.
He is also cautiously optimistic that public opinion will come around to this
perspective.
"The tide will shift from the front lines forward -- the people at the pointy
end of the stick, the coroners, the police, the counsellors," he suggested.
Other critics of the status quo include hundreds of police officers,
academics, scientists and politicians of all stripes, who put their names to
the open letter, decrying that year after year, governments enact punitive
policies toward an illicit global drug industry worth an estimated
$583-billion (an astounding 8 per cent of all world trade) and that year
after year people continue to sell and consume drugs.
Conventional thinking, in the view of the signatories, serves to empower
organized crime, corrupt governments at every level, distort the marketplace,
hinder health-care and feed into an ever-growing law -enforcement and penal
industry.
"The way we're currently trying to deal with illicit drugs is in many senses
counter-productive," Mr. Kendall said.
"It costs more in terms of public-health damage, criminal and social costs
than would a more rational, pragmatic approach. But the status quo is being
driven very much by ideology, and there's a tremendous economic imperative
as well. At least $87-billion a year in North America goes toward [drug]
enforcement."
Mr. Ruby, the civil libertarian concurred.
"We spend huge amounts on this prosecution model, when we know for certain
that we achieve very little by it," he said.
Indeed, when Ronald Reagan was first elected president in 1980, 50,000
Americans were behind bars for drugs. The current figure is 400,000.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
UN Wages Harmful War On Drugs (An Editorial In The Toronto 'Globe And Mail'
By Terence Corcoran About The United Nations General Assembly Special Session
On Illegal Drugs Notes That, For An Agency Created In 1945 To Further
The Cause Of World Peace, The UN Is Involved In A Surprisingly Large Number
Of Wars, And Suggests Business Leaders And The Media Take Note When The UN
Says, Never Mind Freedom Of Speech Or Expression - This Is A War -
Governments Of Countries Where Rights To Free Speech Exist 'May Need To
Reconsider Whether Unrestricted Access To And The Propagation Of Such
Information Are Detrimental To The Social And Health Conditions
Of Their Populations')
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 22:38:32 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: CANADA: GE: OPED: UN Wages Harmful War On Drugs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@hotmail.com)
Source: The Globe and Mail
Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jun 1998
Contact: webmaster@globeandmail.ca
Website: http://www.theglobeandmail.com
Author: Terence Corcoran
UN WAGES HARMFUL WAR ON DRUGS
WHEN U.S. President Bill Clinton appeared yesterday before a special
United Nations General Assembly session on illegal drugs, there was
virtually no hope that he would heed a growing number of critics --
from libertarian economist Milton Friedman to conservative William F.
Buckley and Canadian leftists Clayton Ruby and Alexa McDonough -- who
are calling for a moratorium on the catastrophic war on drugs. Instead
of ending the war, which is causing more grief and havoc than the
drugs themselves, Mr. Clinton renewed the campaign, pledged more money
and urged members of the UN to accelerate their efforts to eliminate
illegal drugs throughout the world. "We stand as one against drugs. No
nation is so big that it can conquer drugs alone," he said. "None is
too small to make a difference. All of us share a common
responsibility to defeat this common threat."
It was classic anti-drugism, of which the world will hear more over
the next couple of days as the UN cranks up the rhetoric and commits
to another assault on illicit drug use and the drug industry. For an
agency created in 1945 to further the cause of world peace, the UN is
involved in a surprisingly large number of wars -- now on people
rather than among nations. There's the war on fossil fuels to save the
world from climate change, a war on population growth to save the
world from famine and overpopulation, an emerging war on tobacco and
smoking, and the war on drugs, which comes closest to mimicking a
military operation.
The consequences of the expanding drug war are already well known and
obvious: Hundreds of thousands of people are in jail, civil rights are
under attack, cities are being turned into war zones, police forces
are growing increasingly militarized, juveniles are being entrapped
into drug deals, a global criminal class is thriving on the estimated
$400-billion (U.S.) industry, new health hazards and disease risks are
proliferating. In petitions sent to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
more than 500 people, many with significant public profiles and from
diverse ideological and professional backgrounds, concluded that "the
global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."
A few hundred signatures won't change the UN, but the growing number
of enlightened opponents of the war on drugs, and their diversity,
must be taken as a sign that momentum is building for a change in
attitudes and policy. The politicians have yet to catch the message,
however. Self-evident though it may be that the war on drugs is an
expanding global tragedy, the UN special session this week aims to
expand the war.
Most of the new effort is designed to repair crises created by
existing anti-drug laws and enforcement measures. One item on the
agenda is money laundering, a multibillion-dollar business that exists
solely because of the criminalization of drugs. Seizing drugs and
incarcerating thousands of people doesn't work, the UN paper on money
laundering says, because it "has limited impact on overall trafficking
and abuse of illicit narcotics." In other words, the war is failing:
Prices are high and the money keeps flowing to the government-created
criminal class who have developed efficient systems to move vast sums
around.
It may be time for a few business leaders to take up the cause against
the UN. Typically, the UN has inflated the magnitude of the
money-laundering problem -- as it has with drug use itself -- to
extract more powers for police and state authorities to search, seize
and otherwise infringe on business activities and civil liberties. To
secure support for more government intervention into business and
individual transactions, the UN claimed the financial system is at
stake. "The money laundering derived from illicit drug trafficking, as
well as from other serious crimes, has become a global threat to the
integrity and stability of financial and trading systems."
More media attention to the war's consequences is also needed. The
Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, leading the Canadian campaign to
end the drug war, found other examples of the control mentality
building within the UN. The 1997 annual report of the UN's
International Narcotic Control Board wants governments to mount a
censorship blitz to "curb the showing by public broadcasting media,
such as the press, radio, film and television, of favourable images of
drug abuse," including hemp and marijuana.
Never mind freedom of speech or expression, the UN says -- this is a
war. Governments of countries where rights to free speech exist "may
need to reconsider whether unrestricted access to and the propagation
of such information are detrimental to the social and health
conditions of their populations." To bring the media into line, the UN
board suggests "voluntary codes of conduct" that would "limit
irresponsible statements that are sometimes made and encourage a more
balanced approach to dealing with the issues of drug abuse."
The greater the UN effort to create a mythical drug-free society, the
more oppressive its methods will become. It's time to start looking at
alternatives.
(c) THE GLOBE AND MAIL - 1998
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Call Off The War On Drugs (Op-Ed In The Toronto 'Globe And Mail'
By Two Members Of The Canadian Foundation For Drug Policy
On The Occasion Of The United Nations General Assembly
Special Session On Drugs)
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 16:46:52 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Canada GE: OPED: Call Off The War On Drugs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Chris Donald
Pubdate: Tuesday, June 09, 1998
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Contact: letters@globeandmail.ca
Website: http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Author: Eugene Oscapella and Diane Riley Ottawa
CALL OFF THE WAR ON DRUGS
This week's United Nations summit on drug policy in New York is an
appropriate occasion to reflect on the global war on drugs and on Canada's
part in that war.
Every decade, the UN adopts new international drug-control conventions,
focused largely on criminalization and punishment, that prevent individual
nations from devising local solutions to local drug problems. Every year,
governments enact more punitive and costly drug-control conventions and
politicians endorse harsher drug-war strategies.
The result? UN agencies estimate the annual revenue generated by the illegal
drug industry at $400-billion (U.S.), roughly the equivalent of 8 per cent
of total international trade. This industry has empowered organized
criminals, corrupted governments, eroded internal security, stimulated
violence and distorted economic markets. These are the consequences not of
drug use as such, but of decades of futile prohibitionist policies.
In Canada, prohibition has encouraged marketers to sell and users to use
more potent forms of drugs or more dangerous methods of ingestion. Users
have no guarantee of quality. As a result, some, especially the young and
inexperienced, die; others are maimed.
Our drug laws have turned thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens into
criminals and thrown many of them into prison for their involvement with
drugs. Having sent them to jail, we deny them the means to prevent HIV
infection from massive levels of drug use in prison. Until recently we
refused to make condoms available to prisoners, in part for fear condoms
would be used to hide drugs; better to preserve the moral fibre of our
prisons than to protect peoples lives. Yet despite finally acknowledging
that drug use in prisons is widespread, we have largely refused to help
prisoners with needle exchanges or cleaning solutions to help prevent the
further transmission of the AIDS virus.
Canada's 1982 statement of principles, The Criminal Law in Canadian Society,
said criminal law should be used only to deal with conduct for which other
means of social control are inadequate or inappropriate. Nice words, but no
reflection of reality. Instead, the criminal law has become the instrument
of first resort in dealing with drugs. And still we have not stopped the
flow of drugs into Canada, any more than the United States -- the most
powerful nation on Earth, with some of the most repressive drug laws in the
world -- has stopped the flow into the U.S.
Ending prohibition makes common sense. Instead of propping up an enormously
profitable black market in drugs, and pushing drug users to the margins of
society, governments could focus on productive ways to control the harmful
use of substances, be they alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, heroin or cocaine.
They could turn away from soul-destroying prisons and toward understanding
drug use as a natural, not deviant, part of human behavior.
Too often those who call for open debate, rigorous analysis of current
policies and serious consideration of alternatives are accused of
"surrendering." But the true surrender is when fear and inertia combine to
shut off debate, suppress critical analysis and dismiss all alternatives to
current policies. Surely it is time to hold an open debate on global
drug-control policies.
Eugene Oscapella is a lawyer and Diane Riley is a policy analyst. Both work
with the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, a non-profit organization
founded in 1993 to seek humane and effective drug policies and a reduction
in harm related drug use.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Police Primed For Dueling Drug Conferences ('The Province' Columnist
Jon Ferry Says Vancouver, British Columbia Mayor Philip Owen Is Blowing Smoke
Out Of Both Sides Of His Mouth, Hosting A Drug Conferences In Vancouver
This Week Featuring His Prohibitionist Police Chief, Bruce Chambers, After He
And Chambers Both Refused To Attend Or Speak At The Drug Conference In April
Sponsored By The Free-Enterprise Fraser Institute, Where Chambers
Tried To Prevent Constable Gil Puder From Speaking Out Against The War
On Some Drug Users)
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 07:58:08 -0700 (PDT)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
From: arandell@islandnet.com (Alan Randell)
Subject: Police primed for dueling drug conferences
Newshawk: Alan Randell
Pubdate: June 9, 1998
Source: Province, The (Vancouver, B. C.)
Contact: provedpg@pacpress.southam.ca
Author: Jon Ferry
Police primed for dueling drug conferences
By Jon Ferry
The problem is with the current drug policy in B.C. is that it
is riddled with hypocrisy.
Most young people do not believe the cops when they say pot-
smoking is evil. Therefore, they tend not to believe anything else
the police say.
Most police officers don't seem to believe casual marijuana use
is wrong either, judging by what Vancouver police constable Gil Puder
has to say.
Puder admits that, like everybody else, he smoked marijuana at
university.
"In fact, out of 25 police academy classmates of mine, I think there
were only one or two who hadn't smoked pot," Puder told me over the
weekend.
Let's face it, most Vancouver police officers have smoked
marijuana at some time. So there's a strong likelihood they'll agree
with Puder that, in the case of the duelling drug conferences, it's
Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen who is blowing smoke.
Duelling drug conferences?
Yes, later this week Vancouver is hosting the second of two big
conferences featuring narcotics experts from around the world.
The one this week, at the Robson Square Conference Centre, is
being hosted and promoted by Owen, also the police board chairman.
Owen's police chief, Bruce Chambers, is the keynote after-dinner
speaker Friday.
The first conference, run by the free-enterprise Fraser
Institute, grabbed national headlines in April when Puder spoke out
passionately in favor of marijuana legalization -- defying Chambers'
attempts to muzzle him.
It turns out both Owen and Chambers were invited to speak at the
Fraser Institute conference, but turned down the offer. Later, Owen
decided to bad-mouth the event, calling it "a big love-in" for
legalizing drugs.
That drew the ire of Fraser Institute official Patrick Basham
who pointed out the right-wing think-tank was hardly a haven for
hippies and that Owen was, well, a bit of a dope.
Basham accused the mayor of being "determined to remain sitting
atop the policy fence" while requesting the Fraser Institute "feed
him our research so he might be provided with sufficient intellectual
cover". Owen, in other words, had been speaking out of both sides of
his mouth.
Puder also blasted the mayor for hippie-baiting. Indeed, the
constable questioned the sanity of certain anti-drug extremists Owen
had invited to his gabfest. "Owen's got some loonies coming and his
pretence for doing this is, 'oh, well, we want balance'. Well, that's
like saying, 'well, I'm going to invite a Nazi to the Jewish congress
just for balance'. You know, it doesn't make any sense," Puder said.
Though I would be considered a redneck these days on most
issues, I have never quite understood the demonization of pot. What
I do understand is that the appearance on the media scene of the 38-
year-old Puder has changed the nature of the whole debate.
Puder clearly is no pimply-faced weed, having shot to death an
armed addict. He considers the "war" police wage on recreational
marijuana-users to be unwinnable and dishonest. After all, alcohol
and tobacco really are more harmful products.
Chambers obviously is not amused by having his nose tweaked by
Puder, but so far has not followed through on his threat to
discipline the errant officer.
In any case, it's not hard to figure out why Puder has not been
invited to the mayor's conference where, the police officer believes,
the issue of drug legalization will be avoided. "My God, no, that
would just be like spitting on the flag," he said.
My opinion is that it's high time we put flag-waving and
conference-squabbling aside and introduced some candor into this
discussion.
to 1998 Daily News index for June 4-10