European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 02, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes monday. October 2,1989 drugs ranked As top . Problem few in poll feel abuse is serious locally new York a nearly one third of american adults know someone who uses cocaine but most say drug abuse is not a serious problem in their own neighbourhoods a poll has found. While president Bush pursues a muh billion Dollar War on illegal drugs saying they arc sapping our strength As a nation just 14 percent in the Survey called the problem very serious where they live. Still 61 percent in the Media general associated press poll identified drug abuse As the nation s greatest problem Overall a level that has risen steadily in Opin Ion polls As the Issue has drawn increasing political and Media attention. Among that majority barely More than a third expected the problem to Lessen in the next decade. An respondents split sharply on whether the Best line of attack is against drug producers dealers or users. Majorities came together though in opposing some priorities of Bush s program. While most of its funds arc for Law enforcement for example 60 percent said treating drug users will accomplish More than punishing them. Moreover a 57 percent majority said building More Federal prison cells for drug offenders As Bush has proposed will fail to reduce drug abuse. Drug treat ment and education were seen by far More people As effective. Despite those differences nearly three quarters of the1.071 respondents Felt that the Bush administration is making a serious Effort. And two thirds said the Federal government can reduce drug abuse significantly. Respondents were split Over whether Bush s $7.9 billion plan spends enough Money too Little or too much. About half wanted anti drug Money taken from other programs while a third favored raising  rest were unsure. Although taxes were not popular generally three quarters supported raising cigarette or alcoholic Bever age taxes to pay for a bigger drug battling program and seven in 10 supported a i percent increase in respondents split sharply on whether the Best line of attack is against drug producers dealers or users. Corporate income taxes. Another funding scheme had less support by 53 percent to 43 percent respondents opposed a i percent increase in personal income taxes. The poll conducted sept. 14 to 24, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage Points. The National Institute on drug abuse has estimated that roughly 8 million americans have used cocaine in the past year and i million of them use it at least Oncea week. In the Survey 31 percent said they know some one who uses cocaine or its derivative crack. About half of them or about one seventh of All respondents said they know an addict. Younger people were far More Likely to know a co Caine user 48 percent of those age 18 to 29 said they did. Black respondents and big City residents also were at last a Survey of real importance Washington a do you put on both socks and then Bot shoes or put a sock and shoe on one fool and then the other How often do you weigh yourself when visiting a Friend s House and the Shower curtain is closed do you look behind it while the better known pollsters arc asking americans their political preferences or their thoughts on the great issues of the world a couple of new yorkers Are raising questions that inquiring minds really want an swered. We be always been compulsive obsessive collectors of Odd titbits of information. How Many people Wear torn underwear under their expensive clothes How Many unmatched socks lie lonely in Dresser drawers said Mel Portz and Barry Sinrod in their new Book. Under the modest title the first really important Survey of american habits Portz and sin Rod have compiled the answers to the questions that have been burning holes in their curiosity. They found for example that 19percent of americans put both the sock and shoe on one fool first then the other As opposed to the More common Way both socks and then both shoes. Men were slightly More Likely to go sock shoe sock shoe than women they found. How do they know these things they simply asked. More precisely they polled a Little Over 2,000 people across the country. Sinrod and Poretz who Are involved in marketing and polling say their Survey represents the tastes and habits of 89 percent of americans aged21 and Over. However details like margins of error that Are popular with the More serious surveys were not re ported. All totals arc statistically Correct and can be verified Trust us to Ritz and Sinrod said. After making that leap of Faith readers will learn that Only 7 percent of american admit looking behind a closed Shower curtain when visiting a Friend s Home and that such surreptitious glances arc much More common Amon women aged 21 10 34, of whom one fourth say they look behind the cur Tain. The Man most Likely to look is aged 45 to 54, they found with one in 10 doing so. 37 percent of americans never weigh themselves. Some 41 percent of women and 37 percent of men said they never step on the Scales. About one in three checks weight weekly while 14 percent do so More than four times a week. 67 percent of americans say they spend less time in the bathroom than their mate docs. The figure was the same for both sexes. 38 percent of the people respond ing say they clean their belly Button every Day 20 percent say they never do so. S3 percent cat Spaghetti by wind ing it on a Fork and 47 percent Cut it. 80 percent cat Corn on the cob by going around the car in the Circle 20 percent nibble from Side to Side like typewriter. 61 percent say they would Wear Lorn underwear 39 percent would not. Men were slightly More willing to Wear the torn item 68 percent. Only 57 percent of the women said they would. There was this further break Down 74 percent of White Collar workers said they would Wear torn underwear while Only 48 percent of Blue Collar workers would. More Likely to know a cocaine user. In a speech sept. 5 announcing his drug War. Bush called on americans who know drug abusers to help them Stop. But the poll showed the difficulty of that approach of those who knew current cocaine users nearly six in 10 said they already have tried to get them off drugs. Big City dwellers were the most concerned about drugs in their neighbourhoods with half saying illegal drugs posed a very or somewhat serious problem where they live As opposed to not too or not at All serious. In the nation As a whole four in 10 rated drugs serious local problem and nearly six in 10 did not. The poll found overwhelming objection to illegal drug use in a variety of scenarios including buying and Selling marijuana or cocaine. Least offensive was grow ing marijuana for personal use at Home Twenty six percent found that unobjectionable. Respondents favored some new punishments for occasional drug users with 82 percent saying people caught with drugs in their cars should have their licenses suspended and 63 percent saying the cars should be confiscated. People were split about evenly however on the no Tion of sending occasional drug users to military style Boot Camps. When students arc caught with drugs at school 99 percent said their parents should be told and 78 percent said the police should be told. Six in 10 said the student should be suspended while most opposed expulsion. To Stop the flow of drugs into this country eight in 10 respondents said Bush should order the military to patrol the Borders for smugglers. But a minority of 43 percent said he should order military strikes against illegal drug operations in foreign  Fik