Pubdate: Mon, 25 Feb 2002
Source: United Press International (Wire)
Copyright: 2002 United Press International
Author: Christian Bourge, UPI Think Tank Correspondent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John)

DRUG CZAR OUTLINES PLANS AT CSIS FORUM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The effort to rebuild Afghanistan is a fight 
balanced between the forces of the allied coalition on one side and that 
nation's poppy growers on the other, John P. Walters, director of the White 
House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Monday.

"We are faced with a situation that essentially involves two large economic 
redevelopment programs that are being launched in Afghanistan," Walters 
said following a speech at the Center for Strategic and International 
Studies, a Washington-based think tank. "The smaller one is being 
undertaken by the United States and its allies and the other is being 
undertaken by the opium producers."

Like many unexpected results of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the agenda 
of the nation's drug czar has the potential to evolve into one of greater 
prominence on the world stage. Though the position has typically involved 
working with officials from drug producing nations such as Columbia and 
Afghanistan, the administration's efforts to wrap its anti-drug policy 
within the battle against international terrorism has moved the ONDCP's 
importance outside its traditional role of advocacy and policing.

In a preview of his testimony before the House Government Reform Committee 
Tuesday, Walters said controlling Afghan opium production was an 
administration "priority," but that it would take time given the 
instability in the country.

He also said that despite the traditional view that opium production is 
ultimately beyond the policy reach of U.S. government, the dynamics of the 
world trade in the drug have "never been closer in our grasp."

Walters also detailed the ONDCP's attempts to broaden the understanding of 
what could be done to fight the war on drugs and overcome the "cynical 
view" that nothing could be done to stop the problem. This effort is 
currently centered on attempting to refocus the debate and change attitudes 
about drug use, he said.

An early example of this effort yielded two controversial commercials 
sponsored by the drug czar's office, which ran on television during the 
Super Bowl. The advertisements expanded upon the administration's attempts 
to characterize illicit drug use by Americans as a source of money for 
international terrorist organizations.

One of the ads mimicked the now ubiquitous MasterCard "Priceless" ad spots 
by listing the costs for various items like a car trunk load of AK-47 
machine guns. It ultimately asks the question: "Where do terrorists get 
their money?" The tagline is: "If you buy drugs, some of it may come from you."

The second ad focuses on clips of young people reciting excuses for drug 
use such as: "I'm not hurting anyone," interspersed with statements such 
as, "I helped blow up buildings." The ad ends with the tag line: "If you 
buy drugs you might help, too."

Though all sides of the debate admit they are striking, the ads have been 
criticized as being overly simplistic and, in the words of Slate e-zine's 
Rob Walker, a "transparently manipulative" attempt to use tragedy to make a 
point.

But Walters said the ads were aimed at expanding teenage views of drug use 
beyond the belief that it is a personal choice that does not affect anyone 
else. The ads also question the traditional criticism from drug-producing 
countries that world drug production exists in large part as a response to 
U.S. demand, for drugs, he said.

Walters added that the "considerable enthusiasm" for the spots has led the 
ONDCP to expand this effort with a new set of advertisements to be out in 
several weeks.

When asked by UPI about whether the ad campaign could be successful given 
the historic failure of anti-drug advertising to have a discernable impact 
on the nation's drug use, the optimistic Walters said that the bottom line 
for him would come in several months when public surveys reveal whether 
teen attitudes and drug use patterns have changed.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager