Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 Source: Associated Press Copyright: 2001 Associated Press Author: Will Lester, Associated Press Writer Note: On the Net - Pew Research Center Web site http://www.people-press.org/ POLL: U.S. LOSING WAR ON DRUGS WASHINGTON (AP) - Three-fourths of Americans think the nation is losing the war on drugs and think the demand for drugs is so high it will be impossible to stop their use, a poll says. But they hold to the belief that arresting drug dealers and stopping the importation of drugs should be the government's top priorities in fighting the problem, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. "This suggests the public is frustrated with the war on drugs and doesn't think it's succeeding," Pew pollster Andrew Kohut said. "But it is still sticking with the tactics of the drug war, giving the highest priorities to interdiction and incarceration." Two-thirds in the poll say they believe Latin American nations never will control drug traffic. Americans were more compassionate toward users of illegal drugs, with half believing drugs should be treated as a disease, compared with a third who think it should be treated as a crime. The strategies of the drug war have gotten a renewed focus in recent months, reflected in the attention of news coverage and the Oscar-nominated film "Traffic" that examines the inefficiency of long-standing policies toward the drug trade. The poll suggests significant public skepticism has grown up around government policy toward drug treatment and enforcement, said Maureen Steinbrenner, president of the Center for National Policy, a Washington think tank. The White House is looking for the right blend in developing its drug strategy, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. "Fighting illegal drugs is a priority for President Bush because drugs destroy our neighborhoods, harm our children and ruin lives," McClellan said. The administration favors "a balanced approach to combat drugs based on education, treatment and law enforcement." Blacks and those with low incomes and less education have high concerns about the potential effects of drug use on their own family, according to the poll. Four of five blacks said they were at least somewhat concerned about the effects of drugs on their family. Almost as many who made less than $20,000 or had less than a high school education - about seven in 10 - felt that way. The poll of 1,513 adults was taken Feb. 14-19 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Feelings about whether drug use should be treated as a disease or a crime split sharply along partisan lines. Republicans were more likely by 48 percent to 38 percent to say drug use should be treated as a criminal offense. Democrats said by a 2-to-1 margin it should be treated as a disease. More than half of independents said it should be treated as a disease. Young people were far more likely than older people to say drug use is a disease. Americans were about evenly split on the question of eliminating mandatory sentences just for drugs. Women were slightly more inclined than men to say that getting rid of mandatory sentences would be a bad thing. In other findings: - -Just over half said drug interdiction should be emphasized by government as a drug-fighting strategy - down from two-thirds in 1988. - -Almost half said arresting drug dealers should be emphasized - down from six in 10 in 1988. - -About a third said educating about drugs should be emphasized - down from half in 1988. - -And almost a third said arresting drug users should be emphasized - down slightly from 1988. One in nine Americans list drugs and alcohol as the most important problem in their community. Among rural residents, drug abuse is the leading community problem, with 16 percent citing it. It was almost as high among inner-city residents. Drugs and alcohol weren't included in the top tier of problems cited by suburban residents. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth