Pubdate: Sun, 22 Oct 2000
Source: Deseret News (UT)
Copyright: 2000 Deseret News Publishing Corp.
Contact:  http://www.desnews.com/

MCCAFFREY WILL BE MISSED

The person who replaces Gen. Barry McCaffrey as the nation's drug czar will 
have big shoes to fill.

McCaffrey, a retired Army general who has been President Clinton's director 
of the Office of National Drug Control Policy since 1996, has resigned that 
position effective Jan. 6.

He has brought a military, no-nonsense approach to the post that has served 
the country well. McCaffrey has not only been dedicated to reducing the 
number of illegal drug users, especially among youth, but in eliminating 
performance-enhancing drugs from sports, particularly the Olympic Games.

McCaffrey's harsh views of the International Olympic Committee as the 
governing body for dope control — last year he dismissed the IOC as an 
arrogant organization that shouldn't be allowed to police the use of drugs 
by athletes — resulted in significant change.

The new World Anti-Doping Agency, though it is led by an IOC official and 
funded by the IOC, gained credibility with its tough measures at the 
recently completed Summer Olympic Games in Sydney.

And the new U.S. Antidoping Agency plans to conduct more than 5,000 tests 
on athletes in the next year, at least half of them unannounced checks. The 
goal of Terry Madden, chief executive officer of the U.S. Antidoping 
Agency, is to clean up the Games by the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

For far too long athletes have used illegal drugs in Olympics and other 
competitions with near impunity, due to the lack of effective tests and 
failure by the IOC to focus on the problem. Thanks in large measure to the 
efforts of McCaffrey, that is changing.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy coordinates efforts among state 
and local law enforcement officers and health officials and federal agencies.

For it to be effective in the war against drugs requires a strong leader. 
Barry McCaffrey has been such a man. His successor needs to follow suit.
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