By Jon Sarche, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press Denver -- The Bush administration on Wednesday unveiled its 2006 anti-drug program, a campaign that encourages more high schools to screen students and urges teens to live above the influence of drugs and peer pressure. Drug use among some teen groups is down, and this year's strategy focuses on expanding or improving existing campaigns for prevention, treatment and reducing supplies, said John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "We're not radically tearing things up because, for the first time in a couple of decades, we're having dramatic results," he said in an interview before presenting the strategy at a youth substance-abuse treatment center. "We want to keep the pressure on." Illicit drug use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders had dropped by 19 percent, or about 700,000 teens, since 2001, he said. Since the Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that schools can randomly test high school students in competitive extracurricular activities, his office and the Department of Education have provided grants and other support to at least 350 school districts to screen students. Walters said the number of districts participating has grown by about one per week since last spring. The drug control office says screening can deter teens from starting to use drugs and can identify teens who have begun to use drugs, providing parents and counselors a chance to intervene. Screening can also identify teens who have developed a dependency on drugs so they can be referred for treatment, the office said. "If we reduce teenage exposure, the problem will be reduced for generations to come," Walters said. "If you start to use later, there's a much lower risk of addiction." Prescription drug abuse and illicit drug abuse among adults remain problems, he said. Walters dismissed claims by critics who said he chose Denver for the drug-policy announcement because voters last fall legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults, or because a similar proposal could be on the statewide ballot in November. "There's a lot of misinformation, a lot of lying, that goes on in these campaigns," Walters said. He said more youth seek or are ordered to get treatment for marijuana use than for alcohol or for all other illicit drugs combined. Mason Tvert, director of SAFER, which proposed the Denver marijuana initiative and is backing the statewide initiative, said the number of people in treatment programs is up because drug courts and arrests are up. Tvert's group argues that marijuana is safer than alcohol and should be taxed and regulated like alcohol. The White House anti-drug strategy calls for expanding intervention programs and increasing treatment options, increased funding for drug courts, which can order supervised drug treatment rather than prison time, and stepped-up enforcement to halt production and transportation of illegal drugs. The president's fiscal 2007 budget request for the agency is $12.7 billion, up $109.1 million, or 1 percent, from the current budget of $12.5 billion, the agency said. Source: Associated Press (Wire) Author: Jon Sarche, Associated Press Writer Published: Wednesday, February 8, 2006 Copyright: 2006 The Associated Press Link to article:http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21581.shtml
By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times Source: United Press International Denver -- The Bush administration yesterday announced its 2006 National Drug Control Strategy in the first city to legalize marijuana, a decision that wasn't entirely coincidental. John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, who selected a youth drug treatment center here as the site for the announcement, said Denver represented "a model of what we see and what we're trying to face." "We really came here because they had many of the elements we were looking for: the federal-local partnership, they've faced problem with methamphetamine labs, they've faced the problem with drug trafficking from the southwest border," Mr. Walters said. "At the same time, I certainly don't shy away from going to places where [millionaire campaign financier] George Soros tells people that using drugs [is] safe and that drug use should be legal," he said. The 2006 strategy calls for a continuation of the Bush administration's balance of reducing demand through, among other things, drug-prevention campaigns, and reducing supply by securing the Mexican border. Mr. Walters described the strategy, implemented in 2001, as a success, pointing to studies showing that overall teenage drug use has dropped since then by 19 percent. Use of methamphetamine, LSD and steroids also have declined, he said. "What we've learned is that treatment and education can work," said Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican who appeared with Mr. Walters at the press conference. "A lot of times we're told it's an unwinnable battle, yet the numbers are clear -- we are winning." Denver stunned the nation in November when voters approved an initiative decriminalizing adult possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, the most liberal such law in the nation. Legalization activists now are working to put a similar measure on the statewide ballot, a proposal Mr. Owens and state Attorney General John Suthers have vowed to defeat. Mr. Walters said his office would support the effort to defeat the initiative if it wins a slot on the November ballot. "We've decided to stand with the people who provide treatment," said Mr. Walters. "Marijuana is the single biggest cause of treatment in this country by far." Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation, accused Mr. Walters of using federal funds to campaign against the initiative by bringing his anti-drug message to Colorado. "I obviously think it's pretty ridiculous that they've called in the federal government to do their dirty work for them," said Mr. Tvert. "It's unfortunate the drug czar is willing to spend federal money to fly to Denver and strategize against future ballot measures." Mr. Tvert, the mover behind the successful Denver measure and now the statewide proposal, said that Mr. Soros, a critic of the federal war on drugs, has given no money to either marijuana-legalization campaign. Legalization advocates say marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and deny that pot is a "gateway drug" for more dangerous narcotics. Source: United Press International (Wire) Author: Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times Published: February 9, 2006 Copyright 2006 United Press International Website: http://www.upi.com/ Contact: nationaldesk@upi.com Link to article: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21582.shtml
By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News Source: Rocky Mountain News Denver -- The Bush administration rolled out in Denver on Wednesday its 2006 anti-drug campaign, highlighted by increased law enforcement and treatment solutions. To the latter end, John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, appeared at the Synergy Youth Drug Treatment Center to talk about the new 40-page national drug-control strategy. Walters met with several recovering addicts at the center before speaking in broad terms about the plan, which includes using federal grants to increase efforts to randomly screen high school students for drugs. Walters' office said about one school district a week joins the drug-screening effort. According to The Associated Press, 350 districts around the country are participating. No schools in Colorado were identified in the report as grant recipients. "We are at the cusp of a time when we're not saying, 'Why should we do it?' but 'Why didn't we do it earlier,' " Walters said. Flanked by Gov. Bill Owens, Attorney General John Suthers and Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, Walters denied he picked Denver to unveil the plan because city voters passed an ordinance last year to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. He blamed billionaire Democratic financier George Soros for pushing that piece of legislation, as well as a statewide ballot measure that would seek to lift similar restrictions throughout Colorado. Not true, said Mason Tvert, campaign director of SAFER - Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation - the group behind the Denver initiative. "We spent less than $30,000 in the entire Denver campaign," Tvert said. "There is absolutely no money from George Soros. In fact, it's money from concerned people around Colorado and the rest of the country who are fed up with this war against marijuana." Marijuana was a focus for Owens and Suthers as well. They vowed to fight the statewide ballot effort and urged others to join them. Suthers also blasted those who argue the battle against drug abuse can't be won. "It is very important we keep up this fight," he said. Walters said Denver was chosen to launch the anti-drug strategy because it is a "transit hub" and "crossroads" for drug trafficking, especially of methamphetamine. Wednesday's announcement also gave the Bush administration a chance to crow about new numbers showing reduced drug usage among high schoolers. Walters noted that 700,000 fewer students are using drugs since 2001, a 19 percent drop. To finance the continued fight, Bush's fiscal 2007 budget request for the drug agency is $12.7 billion, a 1 percent increase from its current $12.5 billion budget. That's wasted money, according to Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. Referring to a chart in Walter's report, he noted that tobacco usage decreased through a series of restrictions on advertising and availability - without making it illegal. Marijuana usage, meanwhile, has remained relatively flat. "Nobody is arrested for possession of cigarettes, but by putting responsible controls . . . we have hugely reduced the usage of tobacco," he said. "So why again do we need arrest responsible adult marijuana users?" He also disputed the claims that marijuana is a gateway drug. Mirken said science has disproved that theory. Chasity Sabala, however, would disagree. The 24-year-old mother of three is currently in rehab at the Synergy center. She said she started smoking pot when her cousins introduced her to it at 13. Three years later, she was on to cocaine. She said there is no doubt in her mind that without smoking marijuana first, she would never have gone to cocaine. "Marijuana is the easiest to get your hands on," she said. "I don't think it should be." Policy Highlights: The National Drug Control Strategy is aimed at: • Increasing the number of schools participating in random drug screening of high school students. • Seeking legislation to limit the amount of pseudophedrine for retail sale. That substance is used to manufacture methamphetamine. • Working with Colombia to increase aerial eradication of coca crops used for pure cocaine production. • Establishing a group to analyze intelligence concerning the financial operations of drug trafficking. In 2004, the office seized $785 million of currency destined for foreign trafficking organizations. Note: Drug czar picks city for release, calling it hub for traffickers. Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO) Author: David Montero, Rocky Mountain News Published: February 9, 2006 Copyright: 2006 Denver Publishing Co. Contact: letters@rockymountainnews.com Website: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/ Link to article: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21583.shtml