Pubdate: 8 Feb 1999 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Section: News Page: 11 Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Author: Pete Yost-The associated press NEW ANTI-DRUG STRATEGY ANNOUNCED Government: The plan focuses on accountability in trying to cut the nation's drug problem in half. Washington-Hammering home the need for a drug-control strategy that measures success and failure, the Clinton administration is announcing a five-part plan designed to cut the nation's drug problem in half by 2007. In a report to Congress, White House drug policy director Barry McCaffrey said drugs claim more than 14,000 lives in the country annually, despite a nationwide effort that included almost $18 billion in 1998 from the federal government. Such a societal toll is unacceptable, McCaffrey said, and it prompted the administration's goal: reducing the use and availability of drugs by 50 percent by 2007, 25 percent by 2002. Realization of the goal would mean that just 3 percent of the U.S. population 12 and older would be using illegal drugs. The current figure is 6.4 percent. With President Clinton attending the funeral of Jordan's King Hussein, formal presentation of the plan today was being handled by Vice President Al Gore and McCaffrey. Advance copies were made available Sunday evening. A major piece of the drug-control effort: an ad campaign that generates more than $195 million a year in matching contributions from media companies. A cornerstone of the strategy is accountability for the wide array of current anti-drug programs, with boosts for those that work and a swift identification and repair process for those that aren't producing results. FIVE-STEP PLAN Vice President Al Gore will unveil today a five-part plan to cut drug use in half in the next five years. Those parts: Educating children Decreasing the addicted population Breaking the cycle of drugs and crime Securing the nation's borders against drugs Reducing the supply of drugs - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry