Pubdate: Fri, 03 Mar 2000 Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (FL) Copyright: 2000 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Contact: http://www.newscoast.com/ Forum: http://207.87.15.61/cgi-bin/webx.exe Author: Jennifer Sullivan ANTI-DRUG COALITION ANNOUNCES GOALS TO REDUCE ABUSE An anti-drug coalition announced Thursday that it will work to reduce substance abuse in Sarasota County by 50 percent over the next five years. The recently created Sarasota Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition unveiled several long-term goals at a meeting featuring a half-hour motivational speech by state drug czar James. R. McDonough. "You would think, at first sight, there wouldn't be problems here," McDonough, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, told the crowd of about 200 at the Sarasota County School District offices. "In my view with all Sarasota has going for it, it shouldn't have as extreme a drug problem." Coalition Chairman Elliott Metcalfe, the 12th Judicial Circuit public defender, announced the group's goals: to reduce substance abuse for people of all ages by 30 percent over the next three years and by 50 percent over five years; to reduce alcohol, marijuana and other drug use by youths by 30 percent over the next three years; and to increase the number of senior citizens with a medication manager by 30 percent over the next three years. The group did not discuss strategies for accomplishing the goals. The audience of politicians, law-enforcement officials, school district officials, anti-drug activists and treatment counselors heard an array of drug-abuse statistics, including: 10 percent of Sarasota County students have used cocaine, 200 metric tons of cocaine flow into Florida annually and 700,000 people statewide are addicted to drugs. "The question is, are we really going to make an effort?" asked Maryanne Andrews, director of Drug Free Communities. Andrews pleaded for the community to come together to make the changes happen. "This looks like a very strong group, and it needs to keep going. The goals are wonderful and have to be translated," said McDonough, a former Army colonel who has helped formulate anti-drug policies on the federal level. McDonough said he hopes similar coalitions statewide will be vocal and not tolerate drug abuse. If the issue isn't taken seriously soon, he said, "we're going to create a generation of junkies who'll never get off." - --- MAP posted-by: Allan Wilkinson