From: [m--eg--n] at [ix.netcom.com](Marnie Regen )
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Newt/Dole blast Clinton drug policy
Date: 15 Dec 1995 01:25:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuter) - Republican leaders Wednesday blasted 
President Clinton's drug policy, saying that narcotics use was 
up in the three years since he took office.  
         ``From day one, this administration has regrettably failed 
to make the war on drugs the top priority it should be,'' Senate 
Republican Leader Bob Dole said at a news conference.  
         ``Our children are using more dope, more cocaine and more 
heroin than at any time in recent memory,'' Dole, front-runner 
for his party's 1996 presidential nomination, added.  
         ``Let's face it: Dr. Brown never had a chance,'' Dole said, 
referring to White House Drug Czar Lee Brown, who resigned 
Tuesday for a teaching job at Rice University in Houston.  
         Dole and House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich 
named 28 House and Senate Republicans to a congressional task 
force on drug policy whose goal is to raise public awareness 
about the drug problem and to recommend legislation.  
         Clinton said on Tuesday in accepting Brown's resignation 
that his administration was committed to the battle against drug 
abuse, ``which will never be over until every child in America 
knows that drug use is dangerous, illegal and wrong.  
         ``We still have far to go, but under Dr. Brown's stewardship 
we have made solid progress,'' Clinton said in a statement.  
         He said that under Brown's tenure there had been a crackdown 
on the Colombian drug cartels, mandatory drug testing of high 
school athletes and a toughening of punishment of drug-related 
violence.  
         Gingrich said drug usage had declined during President 
Ronald Reagan's administration when Reagan's wife Nancy led a 
national ``just say no'' program to discourage children and 
teen-agers from using narcotics.  
         ``Just say no as a campaign worked,'' Gingrich said. He and 
Dole said the media must do more to discourage drug use.