Pubdate: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Contact: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com:81/webx Author: Wayne Slater BUSH CALLS ADMINISTRATION'S DRUG POLICY A FAILURE Gore Spokesman Says Arrests Are Up, Overall Use Down CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Calling the Clinton-Gore administration's record on combating illegal drugs "one of the worst public policy failures of the 1990s," George W. Bush pledged to spend $2.8 billion to reproduce the drug-fighting efforts of his father's White House. "In the last 71/2 years, fighting drug abuse has ceased to be a national priority," Mr. Bush said at a campaign stop. "Drug policy has been pursued without urgency, without energy and without success." Mr. Bush said teen drug use increased during the administration's first five years, the percentage of high school students who use marijuana every day is at its highest level in 20 years and the rising use of synthetic "club" drugs "amounts to an emerging epidemic." During the years that Ronald Reagan and George Bush were president, teen drug use declined -- only to rise with the election of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in 1992, the governor said. "The threat of drugs won't be confronted by bursts of government activity, followed by years of neglect," he said. A Gore spokesman rejected Mr. Bush's criticism, saying drug arrests are up and overall drug use, including marijuana use by teenagers, has fallen in the last two years. "Once again, Governor Bush has misfired in attacking the progress of the past eight years," said spokesman Douglas Hattaway. "Al Gore and the administration proposed the largest anti-drug budget ever, and under this administration drug arrests are up and drug use is down." Mr. Hattaway said the federal drug-control budget has increased from $12.2 billion in 1993 to $18.5 billion in 2000. He said Mr. Gore has proposed spending $5.3 billion over 10 years to combat drug use. The vice president has proposed creating a matching grant program to states and cities to test, treat and sanction probationers, prisoners and parolees; expanding the national media campaign to deter illegal drug use by young people; and increasing the number of drug courts. Mr. Bush has declined to answer whether he ever used illegal drugs. Mr. Gore has said he occasionally smoked marijuana in his youth. As governor, Mr. Bush cut in half a program by his predecessor, Ann Richards, to expand drug-treatment programs to 12,000 inmates. Mr. Bush reduced the program to 5,800 beds. On Friday, Mr. Bush proposed stepped-up spending for prison drug treatment and prevention as part of a $2.8 billion plan over five years to reduce teenage drug use, expand treatment, strengthen law enforcement and put more agents on the border to intercept drugs coming into the country. Mr. Bush said he wants to give grants to nonprofit organizations working with businesses to promote drug-free workplaces, to community groups advancing such programs in cities and to programs for drug-free schools. Speaking to about 200 people at an invitation-only forum in Cedar Rapids, Mr. Bush said President Clinton cut funding for law-enforcement and interdiction. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens