Pubdate: Wed, 22 Mar 2000
Source: Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Copyright: 2000 Casper Star-Tribune
Contact:  P.O. Box 80, Casper, WY 82602-0080
Fax: (307) 266-0568
Website: http://www.trib.com/

CLINTON'S ANTI-DRUGS ADVISER REPORTS 'SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS'

WASHINGTON (AP) - White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey says "substantial 
progress" has been made in the fight against illegal drugs during the past 
year, with declines in youth drug use and drug-related crime.

But in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday to a congressional committee, 
McCaffrey says heroin has become more popular among young people, and 
methamphetamines have a "serious potential nationally to become the next 
'crack' cocaine epidemic."

A copy of McCaffrey's statement on the first of what is to be an annual 
report on the state of the nation's anti-drug effort was made available to 
The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"The nation working together has made substantial progress in confronting 
illegal drug abuse and drug trafficking," McCaffrey said. "In the report, 
we show that youth drug use dropped 13 percent lastyear, overall cocaine 
use is down, methamphetamine seizures are dramatically up and drug crime 
and drug-related murders are dropping."

He also said efforts to curb production abroad are working. Peru and 
Bolivia, formerly the top two suppliers of U.S. cocaine, "have reduced coca 
cultivation by 66 percent and 55 percent respectively," he said.

Still, more must be done to combat heroin and methamphetamine abuse, and 
"we must confront skyrocketing drug production in Colombia - 90 percent of 
the cocaine in the United States and most of the heroin on the Eastern 
seaboard originate in or transit through that troubled nation," he said.

Methamphetamine "remains one of the most dangerous substances America has 
ever confronted," McCaffrey said.

Overall, though, "For those who say this is a war, we are winning."
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