-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pot Issue To Go On Ballot ('The Denver Post' Version Of Yesterday's News
About The Medical Marijuana Initiative Sponsored By Coloradans
For Medical Rights)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 09:17:26 -0600 (MDT)
From: ammo (ammo@levellers.org)
Reply-To: ammo (ammo@levellers.org)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Re: Colorado initiative on Nov. ballot
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
Denver Post
August 12, 1998
Pot issue to go on ballot
By Howard Pankratz
Denver Post Legal Affairs Writer
Sept. 12 - An initiative that would allow marijuana to be used for medical
purposes was ordered placed on the Nov. 3 ballot by a Denver judge Friday.
Secretary of State Vikki Buckley said after the ruling she will place the
measure on the ballot Monday when she officially certifies the rest of the
Nov. 3 ballot.
"We are delighted,'' said Martin Chilcutt, one of the measure's sponsors,
following the ruling by Denver District Judge Herbert Stern.
"I'm very happy that the citizens of Colorado and patients throughout the
state have prevailed,'' said Chilcutt. "All those people out here suffering
with cancer and AIDS will be happy.''
The marijuana initiative would allow people with "debilitating medical
conditions,'' such as cancer and AIDS, to legally possess and use marijuana
as a form of treatment.
Chilcutt and Luther Symons, spokesman for Coloradans for Medical Rights,
which presented the signatures to Buckley, said a vigorous educational
campaign will begin immediately to inform state residents about the
proposal.
"We intend to run a fully prepared, fully staffed statewide campaign,''
said Symons.
Buckley originally had said that the initiative proponents hadn't gathered
enough signatures for the measure to be put before voters.
But the measure's supporters challenged Buckley, claiming that her office
conducted an error-plagued review of the 88,815 signatures submitted by
Coloradans for Medical Rights.
Using a random sampling technique, Buckley ruled that only 47,960 of the
88,815 signatures were valid and did not meet the 54,242 signatures needed.
But the group said that an entry-by-entry analysis of the 4,482 signatures
Buckley used as a random sample showed that there were 225 signatures
counted invalid that actually were valid.
Using the corrected figure and the same random sampling process used by
Buckley, the group contended 52,312 of the signatures were valid, or 96.4
percent of the 54,242 required.
Under Colorado law, that should have triggered a line-by-line review of
each signature. Random sample
By law, any time a random sample establishes that the number of valid
signatures is between 90 and 110 percent, a line-by-line analysis is
required.
Ed Ramey, Chilcutt's lawyer, argued that the line-by-line review should
have been completed during the 30 days Buckley legally had to review the
signatures.
Since the 30-day period ended Aug. 6, Ramey argued that the measure had to
be automatically placed on the ballot.
Judge Stern agreed.
Stern rejected the state's contention that a line-by-line analysis should
commence immediately, labeling the procedure "awkward and messy.'' He said
it would promote uncertainty among voters.
In ordering the measure to be placed on the ballot, Stern said that
prevailing judicial philosophy is that voters should be allowed to vote on
critical matters.
Assistant Attorney General Maurice Knaizer said he and Buckley will appeal
the case to the Colorado Supreme Court. But they said the only way the
measure won't appear on the ballot is if the Supreme Court overturns
Stern's ruling before 5 p.m. Monday.
By law, Buckley must certify the fall ballot 50 days before the Nov. 3
election. The 50th day is Monday.
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Medicinal Pot On Ballot (The Colorado 'Gazette' Version)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 10:44:04 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CO: Medicinal Pot on Ballot
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Source: Gazette, The (CO)
Contact: gtop@gazette.com
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 1998
Author: Mary Boyle/The Gazette
MEDICINAL POT ON BALLOT
Secretary of state concedes signatures valid
DENVER - An initiative to allow the medicinal use of marijuana was ordered
placed on the Nov. 3 ballot by a judge Friday after the state's top
election official conceded errors were made in verifying signatures.
It's another in a series of election-year embarrassments for Secretary of
State Vikki Buckley, who ruled last month that medicinal pot proponent
Martin Chilcutt lacked enough valid signatures of registered voters to
qualify for the ballot.
But Denver District Court Judge Henry C. Stern III said Friday he had
little choice but to place the measure on the ballot after Buckley's lawyer
announced that 50 signatures ruled invalid during a random sample were
actually legal.
The 50 signatures were not enough for the measure to automatically qualify
for the ballot. However, they were enough to require that Buckley check
each of the nearly 89,000 signatures that Chilcutt submitted in July.
Little time exists to complete that laborious process by Monday - when the
statewide ballot must be certified. So the question at the hearing became
whether the initiative could be ordered onto the ballot pending a
line-by-line recount.
Buckley's lawyer, deputy state attorney general Maurice Knaizer, argued for
the recount, which he said could be completed by the end of the month.
After nearly three hours of debate, Stern said the law was "clearly
uncertain," but ruled in favor of placing the measure on the ballot
unconditionally.
State statutes are unclear on whether Buckley could be given permission to
go beyond the 30-day deadline she has to certify initiative proposals after
they are submitted, Stern said.
The judge also said he feared that placing the measure on the ballot
pending a recount would confuse voters and possibly harm the proponents'
and opponents' campaigns. "I favor enfranchising the voters of this state,
rather than creating disenfranchisement," Stern said.
The issue may not be entirely resolved. Knaizer said he plans to appeal to
the Colorado Supreme Court to reverse Stern's decision.
If the high court acted by the end of next week - which Knaizer said was
doubtful - the measure could be left off the ballot.
But if the Supreme Court were to hear the case in a few weeks and rule in
Knaizer's favor, the question on the November ballot would be moot.
"A lot of this depends on the timing of the Supreme Court," Knaizer said.
Despite the planned appeal, Chilcutt said he was pleased with the judge's
decision.
"Now we can get on with the campaign," Chilcutt said. "I will immediately
start calling the many patients out there who have been supporting us.
They're the people I'm concerned with."
The judge's ruling is "horrific news for Coloradans" says Chris Paulson,
who is leading efforts to oppose the measure.
"I hope that Secretary of State Buckley will stick to her guns and appeal
this ruling," Paulson said.
The initiative would allow adult patients with serious illnesses, and their
caregivers, to legally possess marijuana for medical use. Studies have
shown that the drug relieves pain and nausea for those who suffer from
diseases such as cancer, AIDS and glaucoma.
Patients could not possess more than two ounces of marijuana and six
marijuana plants, though exceptions could be made under certain conditions.
Health insurance companies would not be required to reimburse patients for
marijuana costs, and the state would keep track of people who could legally
possess the drug through a confidential registry.
Opponents say the initiative is dangerously worded to allow anyone - not
just the seriously ill - to possess marijuana. They argue that other
government-approved drugs are available for patients to relieve pain and
nausea.
The marijuana initiative joins two other measures - term limits and
parental notification of abortion for minors - that landed on the ballot by
default after Buckley ran out of time to certify them.
The Rocky Mountain News on Friday quoted a temporary worker in Buckley's
office saying that petition checkers had almost no supervision or training
before they began verifying signatures on the marijuana initiative.
Buckley testified in court that 20 temporary workers hired to check the
marijuana proposal were given only written materials, no personal
instructions, to learn to verify signatures. But a staff supervisor
accompanied them, she said.
Buckley denied comments by a temporary worker who said petition checkers on
the marijuana proposal knew before their 30-day deadline that the random
sample was faulty. The worker claimed that the petition checkers were then
ordered to begin a line-by-line check of the signatures, but then were told
to stop after finishing about 1,500 names.
Buckley said neither she nor her staff knew the random sample was
inaccurate until this week, and that no line-by-line recount was ordered.
Buckley, a Republican who is seeking re-election, has faced criticism in
recent months for her office's performance. But the judge and opposing
attorney on Friday sympathized with her workload.
As the initiative process becomes increasingly popular in Colorado, nine
citizen-proposed statewide ballot measures were submitted to Buckley's
office this summer, each containing at least 70,000 signatures to be
verified. She also had to process dozens of candidate petitions.
"Given the way initiatives have developed in this state, I'd certainly hope
the legislature would revisit some of these laws," Stern said, referring to
the statute that gives Buckley 30 days to process initiative petitions once
they are submitted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Marijuana Petition Back On Ballot ('The Rocky Mountain News' Version)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 11:38:17 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CO: Marijuana Petition Back On Ballot
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 1998
Source: Rocky Mountain News (CO)
Contact: letters@denver-rmn.com
Website: http://insidedenver.com/news/
Author: Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
MARIJUANA PETITION BACK ON THE BALLOT
Dispute Over Signatures Is Moot, Judge Rules
An initiative to legalize marijuana for medical purposes was ordered
on the November ballot by a Denver judge Friday, but an appeal to the
Colorado Supreme Court could take it off again.
"It is my view that the matter should be certified," said Denver
District Court Judge Herbert Stern, who listened to testimony about
the validity of the petitions. "Let the chips fall where they will."
The marijuana petition thus becomes the third petition to make the
Nov. 3 ballot without adequate verification of signatures. Two others
made the ballot by default when the Secretary of State's office failed
to check the signatures within the 30-day time limit. This is the
first year any unverified petition has made the ballot.
Secretary of State Vikki Buckley had rejected the medical marijuana
petitions after her staff checked a random sample of the signatures.
She said that sample indicated there weren't enough signatures.
Backers of the marijuana petition challenged the decision, saying the
signature counts were sloppy and inaccurate. They checked the rejected
signatures and found more than 200 to be valid.
In court Friday, Morey Knaizer, the state attorney representing
Buckley's office, acknowledged that there were errors in the secretary
of state's signature count. The secretary of state's office hires
dozens of temporary workers to check signatures against voter rolls.
"It is surprising to me that an issue of this magnitude should be
limited to 30 days and getting temporary workers," Stern said.
Knaizer said he would file an appeal with the state Supreme Court on
Monday.
The ballot must be finalized next week and sent to the printer. If the
high court rules against the marijuana petition, it may be too late to
take it off the printed ballots. In that case, the votes on the
measure won't be counted.
"This means we can get on with the campaign," said Martin Chilcutt of
Coloradans for Medical Rights, petition proponents. "I'll go out now
and call the many people with AIDS and cancer that have been
supporting us."
Laurie Gaylord Simco, a temporary worker hired to validate signatures,
told the Rocky Mountain News this week that the crew checking the
marijuana petitions had little training or supervision.
Buckley was questioned about Simco's statements on the witness stand
Friday. She told Ed Ramey, attorney for the marijuana backers, that
the temporary workers were given pamphlets and brochures explaining
the process.
Simco also said some of the temps didn't understand the criteria for
rejecting signatures. When they finished the checks, Simco said an
elections staff member told the crew that the random sample was faulty
and told them to start a line-by-line count. That count was never completed.
On the stand, Buckley said she wasn't aware of the problem with sample
or that a line-by-line count had been started.
"Her facts were mixed up," Buckley said of Simco's comments. "She
worked on several petitions. She did not ever come to me with any
concerns about the medical marijuana petition signatures."
Stern cut short Buckley's testimony on the checking process. After
deliberating for about an hour, he said election laws set a 30-day
time frame for the checking and, if it's not completed, the issue must
be certified.
Knaizer had argued that the line-by-line count should be done even
though it couldn't be completed in time for this year's election. He
said if there are enough signatures, the issue can go on the 2000 ballot.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rise Seen In Lake Teens' Use Of Marijuana ('The Chicago Tribune'
Says A Survey Of Teen-Agers In Lake County, Illinois, Carried Out
By The Center For Prevention Research And Development At The University
Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Suggests Marijuana Use Among High School
Juniors Increased To 22.9 Percent, Up From 15.1 Percent In 1992 -
When It Comes To Drugs Than Can Kill You, 27.1 Percent Smoked Tobacco,
Compared With 30.3 Percent In 1992, And 38.7 Percent Consumed Alcohol,
Down From 45.6 Percent Six Years Ago)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 13:05:55 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US IL: Rise Seen In Lake Teens' Use Of Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young (theyoungfamily@worldnet.att.net)
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sept 1998
Author: Nancy Ryan
RISE SEEN IN LAKE TEENS' USE OF MARIJUANA
Although a survey of Lake County teens showed that alcohol and tobacco use
has declined in the last six years among high school juniors, the study
released Friday found that marijuana use has risen among 6th, 8th and 11th
graders.
Similar findings on marijuana use among teens appeared in a national
government survey last month, prompting Health and Human Services Secretary
Donna Shalala to say that the rise was partly due to attitudes among
students and parents that it is a low-risk, "soft" drug.
"Because they grew up at a time when marijuana was around, this generation
of parents has ambiguous feelings about it," said Peter Mulhall, a
researcher with the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who conducted the Lake County
survey.
The center did the study for the Lake County Fighting Back Coalition, a
federally funded umbrella organization that advises and trains prevention
groups in the county.
Using a wide sample of 4,739 private and public students in Grades 6, 8 and
11--compared with 1,739 in 1992--the study is the most comprehensive,
countywide survey of substance use among teens in the Chicago area.
The study found that among high school juniors, 22.9 percent had smoked
marijuana in the last month, up from 15.1 percent in 1992. Among 8th
graders, the portion who had used it in the last four weeks increased to
10.9 percent, from 3.1 percent in 1992. In the 6th grade, 1.2 percent said
they had, compared with 0.10 percent six years ago.
Somewhat encouraging, though, are other study findings showing that
marijuana use across the country appears to be leveling off after a steady
rise since the early 1990s, Mulhall said.
The researcher said he was surprised by the "significant" decline in
11th-grade tobacco use, with 27.1 percent reporting they had smoked in the
last month, compared with 30.3 percent in 1992.
Similarly, the portion of high school juniors who said they had consumed
alcohol in the last four weeks dropped to 38.7 percent, from 45.6 percent
six years ago.
However, mirroring a nationwide trend, a pattern of increased alcohol and
marijuana use among 8th graders was detected in the survey. In 1998, 18.9
percent of teens in that grade reported using alcohol in the last month, up
from 15.1 percent in 1992.
"What prevention groups can ask is, `What goes on between 6th and 8th grade
that escalates this use?' " Mulhall said.
Recent social trends, such as the increase in "latchkey kids," may be
exacerbating the greater feelings of vulnerability and insecurity
experienced at this stage of development, the researchers said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Study On DARE's Effectiveness From The University Of Illinois At Carbondale
Is Now Online (List subscribers publicize URLs for Adobe Acrobat
and .html versions of the April 1998 study by Dennis Rosenbaum, "Assessing the Effects
of School-Based Drug Education - a Six-Year Multi-Level Analysis of Project
DARE," which finds the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to be
ineffective - or worse.)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 13:42:25 EDT
Errors-To: server-admin@calyx.net
Reply-To: dare-list@calyx.net
Originator: dare-list@calyx.net
Sender: dare-list@calyx.net
From: Jim Rosenfield (jnr@insightweb.com)
To: Multiple recipients of list (dare-list@calyx.net)
Subject: UIC study
The recent (April 98) University of Illinois Carbondale study on DARE's
effectiveness by Dr. Dennis Rosenbaum is now online at
http://www.insightweb.com/think/ as an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file. Thanks to
Rolf Ernst for making this possible.
Jim Rosenfield
jnr@insightweb.com
tel: 310-836-0926
fax: 310-836-0592
Visit http://www.insightweb.com
***
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 18:34:57 EDT
Errors-To: server-admin@calyx.net
Reply-To: dare-list@calyx.net
Originator: dare-list@calyx.net
Sender: dare-list@calyx.net
From: "Rolf Ernst" (rolf_ernst@buyer-link.com)
To: Multiple recipients of list (dare-list@calyx.net)
Subject: RE: UIC study
There is an HTML version also at http://www.legalize-usa.org ... And I take
it pretty soon at Jim's site ...
I got the Houston study here but it looks like a pain in the neck to scan,
tables over tables. But I'll take a crack at it ...
Rolf
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Excuses For A Drug War (A Letter To The Editor Of 'The Des Moines Register'
Responds To A Comment Last Month By Former Pot Smoker Donna Shalala,
Secretary Of The US Department Of Health And Human Services,
About Statistics On Marijuana Use By Youths)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 14:03:36 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US IA: PUB LTE: Excuses For A Drug War
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Carl Olsen
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Contact: letters@news.dmreg.com
Website: http://www.dmregister.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Aug 1998
Author: Carl Olsen
EXCUSES FOR A DRUG WAR
Regarding the reported increase in the use of marijuana by teen-agers
("Marijuana Leads Rise in Drug Use by Teens," August 22): Secretary of
Health and Human Services Donna Shalala says, "The perception in this
country is that marijuana is safe, that it's a soft drug."
Duh. If it weren't for the fact that millions of people use marijuana
without suffering the harmful effects that Shalala thinks they should
suffer, we might have believed the propaganda our government has been
feeding us for the past 60 years.
The real crisis is that the use of marijuana is truly dangerous to the
unfortunates who find themselves imprisoned as a result of this
disgusting disguise for the persecution of people who don't do whatever
the government tells us to do.
If people should be imprisoned for possession of psychoactive drugs,
everyone who uses alcohol should be locked up. If people should be
imprisoned for polluting their lungs, everyone who uses tobacco should
be locked up.
It's time to re-evaluate the war on drugs before another generation of
kids sees the drug war for what it is: another phoney excuse for being
cruel to people who are different than the rest of us.
Carl E. Olsen,
1116 E. Seneca Ave., Des Moines.
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Marijuana Reformer Survives Challenge ('The Times Union' Says Tom Leighton,
The Marijuana Reform Party Candidate In The New York Gubernatorial Race,
On Thursday Won A Challenge To The Group's Petition
Initiated By The Green Party)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 15:23:54 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: NY: Marijuana Reformer Survives Challenge
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Walter F. Wouk
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 1998
Source: Times Union (NY)
Contact: tuletters@timesunion.com
Website: http://www.timesunion.com/
Author: James Odato, Capitol Bureau
MARIJUANA REFORMER SURVIVES CHALLENGE
Albany -- Green Party members fail to oust former supporter from ballot line
At least one candidate on the ballot for the governor's race will admit to
smoking pot.
Tom Leighton running on the Marijuana Reform Party line, beat a petition
challenge this week in a case decided by the state Board of Elections.
Leighton is hoping to unseat Gov. George Pataki, who says that instead of
smoking marijuana, he ate it with baked beans.
Leighton, 47, a Manhattan photographer who has run for Congress and New York
City borough president, is campaigning for the legalization of marijuana.
AGreen Party member and former ally, Richard Hirsh, from Brooklyn,
challenged the petitions that qualified Leighton to be on the Nov. 3 ballot.
On Thursday, the state Board of Elections decided the petitions were valid.
Ironically, Leighton was a member of the Green Party in the past, but the
candidate and the party had a falling out over feminist issues, according to
chairman Mark Dunlea. The Greens are running Al Lewis, better known as
Grandpa Munster from the 1960s "Munsters'' television series, for governor.
"The Greens went after us and I don't understand; all we want is to be
included in the democratic process,'' Leighton said, who ran twice as a
Green Party candidate for Congress.
Leighton said he supports the Green platform and has been wrongly accused of
being anti-feminist although he split with the group because he advocated a
greater focus on environmental issues.
Dunlea said the challenge was mounted by some individual members of the
party and not the organization itself or the leadership.
He said Hirsh acted on his own.
The election board did throw out the petitions of the Term Limits Party, a
group seeking to set limits on the number of terms elected leaders can
hold -- for instance three terms for Congress and two for U.S. Senate.
Lawyer Gary Sinawski of New York City is challenging that determination in a
case scheduled for argument Friday in state Supreme Court in Albany. Hoping
to run on the Term Limits line are: Judith Lowenstein Feder for governor;
Mark Dane for lieutenant governor; Jonathan LeWinter for attorney general;
Steve MacIntyre for comptroller; and Taffy Benjamin for U.S. Senate.
The Board of Elections accepted about 9,500 of the 30,200 signatures
submitted by the party. Officials said the problem with the majority was
that many were signed by unregistered voters or other faults.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Study Finds Treatment Aids Addicts ('The New York Times'
Says A National Survey Released On Wednesday By The Substance Abuse
And Mental Health Services Administration Of The Department Of Health
And Human Services, Which Interviewed And Drug Tested 1,799 People
Five Years After Their Discharge From Treatment Programs, Confirmed That
Older People Were More Likely To Curtail Drug Use And Criminal Behavior
Than Younger Ones, And That Women Responded Better To Treatment Than Men -
Drug Use By Adolescents, However, Did Not Drop Significantly After Treatment,
And The Number Who Smoked Crack Cocaine And Abused Alcohol Actually Rose)
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 19:06:41 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: NYT: Study Finds Treatment Aids Addicts
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ty Trippet http://www.lindesmith.org
Source: New York Times (NY)
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Fax: 212-556-3622
Mail: Letters to the Editor, The New York Times, 229 West 43rd Street, New
York, NY 10036
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 1998
Author: Christopher S. Wren
STUDY FINDS TREATMENT AIDS ADDICTS
Offering new evidence that treating drug addicts works in the long term, a
Government survey has reported that addicts who undergo treatment are
considerably less likely to consume drugs or commit crimes to support their
use, even after five years.
Adolescents were the conspicuous exception. Their overall drug use did not
drop significantly after treatment, the study said, and the number who
smoked crack cocaine and abused alcohol actually rose.
But adolescents have also been identified as the highest risk-taking age
group, while adults tend to quit using drugs as they get older. The new
survey confirmed that older people were more likely to curtail drug use and
criminal behavior than younger ones. It also reported that women responded
better to treatment than men.
The national survey, which was released on Wednesday by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and
Human Services, surveyed 1,799 people five years after their discharge from
drug abuse treatment programs in 1989 and 1990. Their responses on drug use
were verified using urinalysis for traces of drugs.
Relapse often occurs after treatment, but the study found that the number
of people using any illicit drug dropped by 21 percent. The number of
powder cocaine users decreased by 45 percent, while the number of crack
smokers decreased by just 17 percent. The number of heroin users went down
by 14 percent and marijuana users by 28 percent. The number of those using
alcohol declined by 14 percent.
Addicts who were treated with methadone, a synthetic heroin blocker, showed
the most significant drop. Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed stopped
using heroin.
As for criminal behavior, the study reported that 56 percent fewer addicts
stole cars and 38 percent fewer committed burglaries after completing
treatment. The number of prostitutes and their procurers declined by 30
percent, the study said.
Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, the retired Army general who is the White House's
director of national drug policy, called the newest study "extremely
important" in showing that treatment was cost-effective.
In looking at what happened to graduates of treatment programs, General
McCaffrey said in a telephone interview: "You'd expect some pretty bad
results. Instead, you find that you've got a significant drop in drug-using
behavior."
Though Federal spending for treatment has increased 33 percent since the
1993 fiscal year, the Government continues to spend far more to interdict
and seize drugs and arrest and imprison dealers and addicted felons.
According to the White House's 1998 National Drug Control Strategy, drug
treatment is available for barely 52 percent of the Americans who
immediately need it.
The survey released on Wednesday is formally called the Services Research
Outcomes Study and was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at
the University of Chicago. General McCaffrey is sure to cite it in his
effort to persuade Congress to approve the Administration's requests for
$200 million more in drug treatment financing and for another $85 million
to treat addicted offenders caught in the criminal justice system. The
requests, for the 1999 fiscal year, have been blocked in Congressional
committee.
"This is a litmus test of rational drug policy," said General McCaffrey,
who said he would join the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna E.
Shalala, in lobbying Congress for more treatment money.
Camille Barry, the acting director of the Government's Center for Substance
Abuse Treatment, said the study confirmed the long-term effectiveness of
drug treatment.
"We know that the longer you stay in treatment the better the outcome," Ms.
Barry said.
Yet 58 percent of the people surveyed had undergone treatment for the first
time and 44 percent had spent a month or less in a treatment programs. "To
have the results come out the way they did is very positive," Ms. Barry said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[End]
to the 1998 Daily News index for September 10-16