European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes thursday August 14,1986 Carl Rowan Bear Fraps Nof Fly shatters needed in drug War we be been trying to fight a Bear with a Fly swatter said House majority Leader Jim Wright d Attias about this country s so called War or drug abuse. Wrigth was Correct and that s we it k food to Sec him Ami House minority Leader Boll Michel. R-llt., on television calling Cor some genuine a mles Acu inst a Cunt 1 1.11 it gobbling up millions of americans. We have been righting a War for america1, Smil with Vin Pliny nil input from he  in chief and tiilu1 input fromlhi1 military establishment. Them Jiaa of people Hrisi Tjing Toms fit Vicil drugs is 1 fur Grealer threat to America Iha ii the sandinista o no in in a vet White resident Ken gun was speak ing in lit vat Iota num Riim Limo Abuwi Nicaragua he Jun cing link1 Iii Linn 10 i Naim Nal Campaign against drug. A dec. So it was Good to Hatt or Reagan saying he was gains to Trad a Broad new Campaign against drug abuse. Only after a tragic number of deaths and Persona calamities have the Congress and the while House accepted the reality that drugs arc destroying youngsters of every class and race and Are rotting inc underpinnings of some of America s Mosi cherished institutions. Too bad that we fiddled around until 22 million americans were burning or snorting cocaine 4 million of Itice regularly thai deaths ant emergency room admissions because of cocaine use tripled between1981 and 1985 thai the customs service expects 275,000 pounds of cocaine 10 he brought into the . His year compared Wilh 130,000 pounds last year or hat More than 1.200 people arc calling the cocaine hoi line daily with agonized cries for help. But we can say belter now than never if the Whitehouse and the Congress arc ready to put a lot of Money where their Mouths Are. Am Noi sure that we writ get More funds than funny Money re citric. The while House supposed is going to launch a s200 million a year Campaign aimed mostly at reducing the demand for illegal drugs. But will this be new Money or funds jerked away from the already inadequate budgets of inc various departments and agencies thai arc swinging Fly shatters at bears Jim Fain some cheap help in educating americans about the perils of drug abuse exists in press coverage of inc new things inc medical profession has Learned to example thai cocaine once thought so harmless that the Beautiful people named it " he lady is no known to be More toxic than heroin. People Are read ing about the stroke the convulsions the heart at tacks i he sudden deaths of people using cocaine. Bui cheap education will Noi win this War. A real wartime commitment of funds must be made by the Congress and the White House. It will Lake a Tol of educating to override Tobii View Point let alone Enue whal seem to be a wildly grow ing appetite for cocaine and Cher drugs. Nonetheless we cannot afford to believe thai ii is 100 late to replace the Fly shelters Wilh some big Bear traps and whatever firepower is needed. Com Jiwu swy Kich anti drug efforts should focus on kids not adults Reaca nauts and democrats Are scram bling to exploit the drug Issue like pigeons battling for bread crumbs. The result is a or circus thai set a new record for Absurdity when president Reagan and vice president Bush produced urine specimens to prove they were not junkies. They weren t exactly prize suspects. As Mark rus jell Pul ii their idea of a psychedelic experience is looking Al a Norman Rockwell  Ai usual Washington which fancies itself the out Back s Nanny had been asleep at inc switch. White Public anxiety Rose Over drug abuse. Reagan smote contras and Congress slowed about lax Reform Reagan napped longer. After All. Nancy had the drug gig. Why double team but when tip o Neill began staging press conferences to lout a ii billion to 2 billion drug War republicans facing election panicked the White House sprang to Battle Stalin and Reagan Bush reached for the specimen bottle. An administration thai in Early july said no More Bucks o tight drugs suddenly talked m millions. Since drugs have been a National Scourge for 20 years inc temptation is to cheer. Usage of heroin Ltd Speed and marijuana is Down a bit but higher sorruuciz15 Haw a uimw.�e5f & my and Kwh w m a web we m a Fol mar than in any other Industrial democracy. Cocaine Abu icis soaring and becoming infinitely More deadly. History leaches wariness however when govern ment wets o protect us whether from Foci abroad immorality depression or health Hazard. It always be gins by asking the loan of Tome of our freedoms. Once gone these Are Tough to regain and the Power they represent inevitably will be abused by those who gov Ern now or later. Drug letting is such an Issue. It violates privacy and gives the intruder Power Over those tested including denial of employment the stated purpose is to prefect the Public though it is not at All Clear this would be the result except in critical jobs. The to cols Are unreliable expensive and require complicated follow on to be accurate. Their chief Benefit seems to be intimidating employees into not using drugs other than marijuana Ai a time when they fear tests May be imminent. Since marijuana Mildest of the drugs has longer lasting fingerprints testing presumably can discourage us use altogether. None of the proposed Lesis deals Wilh alcohol which destroys More jives than All other drugs combined. Nor tobacco which counts More victims than cocaine and heroin. Alcohol also creates More violence and deaths of innocents than do illegal drugs we desperately need a handle a substance abuse but protecting adults from themselves is a Mil  the death of basketball Star Len Bias there hag to Ken a wide Hunt for the fiend who killed him but the truth is Len Bias did himself in. He was old enough to know better. We ought to concentrate on protecting children and recognize thai the Best we can do for adults is give them knowledge to help themselves through concen rated Public education. There will be no end to government mischief if we a All out to use police Pomerlo prevent adults from self harm. Government s Job is to protect the innocent. Let Cox n4w5 5amc0