Pubdate: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 1999 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Contact: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229 Fax: (703) 247-3108 Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Author: John G. Chase Editor's Note: This letter was first posted by mistake as a OPED see: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n211.a01.html Headline by editor JUST STOP THEIR POLITICAL RHETORIC So DEA chief Tom Constantine thinks we have neither the will nor the resources to win the drug war? He is wrong. We do have the will and the resources to fight the drug war, but it must be fought in ways that work. Is Constantine suggesting that if we we'd really been serious, the drug war would have been a success? Bum rap. This failure is not a lack of will of our citizenry; it is a lack of clear thinking by Congress and the DEA leadership. Their most basic mistake was trying to prohibit all "illegal" drugs rather than trying to reduce the societal damage done by the very few individuals who abuse drugs. But things may be changing. Barry McGaffrey, our current White House drug czar, is beginning to talk about the importance of education and treatment. This is good, but it does not comport with funding provided by Congress. If our congressional leaders would just stop their political rhetoric against the Clinton administration and change their funding priorities, we could move forward with a program that has a chance for success. John G. Chase, Palm Harbor Florida - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea