Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 16:33:04 -0500
Reply-To: [d r c natl] at [drcnet.org]
From: [b--rd--n] at [intr.net] (David Borden)
Subject: NEWSFLASH
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Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet)
Rapid Response Team
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Please copy and distribute.
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Drug Czar Leaving Post
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Sources at the Washington-based Drug Policy Foundation have reported
that Lee Brown, Director of the US Office of National Drug Control
Policy ("Drug Czar,") will announce his resignation today, Monday,
December 12th. Brown will leave Washington to join the sociology
faculty at Rice University in Houston. Brown is a former Houston
police chief.
Within the last year, Brown's press coverage has increased markedly;
the administration's goal, reportedly, has been that every household
in America would have heard of Lee Brown and therefore consider
President Clinton to be "tough on drugs." Brown's departure just
prior to election season would therefore seem to undermine Clinton's
political strategy.
According to informal reports, Brown was in favor of the Sentencing
Commission's recommendation to lower crack cocaine penalties to the
same level as powder cocaine, and asked the President not to sign
Congress's bill which kept penalties the same. Brown's resignation
may be in part due to anger over the President's actions. Such anger
would be justified, since it was actually the Department of Justice
under Janet Reno that authored the legislation and found
Representatives and Senators (Republicans) to sponsor it. The crack
powder has been widely criticized as being blatantly racist.
Gallup Poll on Drug War
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NEWS RELEASE FROM THE DRUG POLICY FOUNDATION
Contact: Dave Fratello or Rob Stewart at (202) 537-5005
NEW GALLUP POLL ON DRUG WAR `THIN GRUEL'
DPF `Shocked' at 73% Support for Using Military Domestically
WASHINGTON, December 12 -- A new Gallup poll on the drug war is too
general to be useful in the drug debate, the Drug Policy Foundation
charged today. That poll indicates relatively high levels of support
for most aspects of current national drug policy, with high marks for
anti-drug education, law enforcement and treatment efforts.
DPF Executive Director David C. Condliffe said, "This poll illustrates
the depth of American fears, and the lack of creative leadership we
have had on drug policy. I am absolutely unimpressed with this poll.
It is thin gruel, because it is mainly a popularity ranking for
various components of the drug war."
Condliffe continued, "What we need is a thorough, honest look at what
Americans would do differently when they realize that drug prohibition
has failed to control illegal drugs. That will require some tough
questions, and there are no such animals in this Gallup poll."
DPF President Arnold S. Trebach said, "I was shocked to see that 73
percent of those polled support using the U.S. military within this
country to fight drugs. We have the strongest, most capable military
in this world. Are we Americans really so frustrated with prohibition
that we would turn that army on ourselves?"
Trebach added, "This result underscores a key problem with the new
poll. The popularity of anti-drug measures is ranked without any
indication as to their track record in controlling drugs. I believe
we would see very different results if the people being polled had
some basic facts about the last 20 years of the drug war."
The Gallup poll also found low levels of support for legalizing drugs.
Noting that the Drug Policy Foundation promotes alternative drug
policies including forms of legalization, Condliffe said, "this poll
makes no effort to define legalization or to explain why people
support moving in that direction. Gallup just threw the word out
there and got a response."
Condliffe continued, "Considering how demonized the concept of
legalization is, I'm pleasantly surprised that it registered as high
as it did -- 14 percent. Still, the result Gallup found is
practically useless. We need a lot more education about alternatives
to drug prohibition. This poll doesn't do it."
###
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