Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 2001
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 2001 Associated Press
Author: Will Lester, Associated Press Writer
Note: On the Net - Pew Research Center Web site http://www.people-press.org/

POLL: U.S. LOSING WAR ON DRUGS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Three-fourths of Americans think the nation is losing the 
war on drugs and think the demand for drugs is so high it will be 
impossible to stop their use, a poll says.

But they hold to the belief that arresting drug dealers and stopping the 
importation of drugs should be the government's top priorities in fighting 
the problem, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the 
People & the Press.

"This suggests the public is frustrated with the war on drugs and doesn't 
think it's succeeding," Pew pollster Andrew Kohut said. "But it is still 
sticking with the tactics of the drug war, giving the highest priorities to 
interdiction and incarceration."

Two-thirds in the poll say they believe Latin American nations never will 
control drug traffic.

Americans were more compassionate toward users of illegal drugs, with half 
believing drugs should be treated as a disease, compared with a third who 
think it should be treated as a crime.

The strategies of the drug war have gotten a renewed focus in recent 
months, reflected in the attention of news coverage and the Oscar-nominated 
film "Traffic" that examines the inefficiency of long-standing policies 
toward the drug trade.

The poll suggests significant public skepticism has grown up around 
government policy toward drug treatment and enforcement, said Maureen 
Steinbrenner, president of the Center for National Policy, a Washington 
think tank.

The White House is looking for the right blend in developing its drug 
strategy, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday.

"Fighting illegal drugs is a priority for President Bush because drugs 
destroy our neighborhoods, harm our children and ruin lives," McClellan 
said. The administration favors "a balanced approach to combat drugs based 
on education, treatment and law enforcement."

Blacks and those with low incomes and less education have high concerns 
about the potential effects of drug use on their own family, according to 
the poll. Four of five blacks said they were at least somewhat concerned 
about the effects of drugs on their family. Almost as many who made less 
than $20,000 or had less than a high school education - about seven in 10 - 
felt that way.

The poll of 1,513 adults was taken Feb. 14-19 and has an error margin of 
plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Feelings about whether drug use should be treated as a disease or a crime 
split sharply along partisan lines. Republicans were more likely by 48 
percent to 38 percent to say drug use should be treated as a criminal 
offense. Democrats said by a 2-to-1 margin it should be treated as a 
disease. More than half of independents said it should be treated as a disease.

Young people were far more likely than older people to say drug use is a 
disease.

Americans were about evenly split on the question of eliminating mandatory 
sentences just for drugs. Women were slightly more inclined than men to say 
that getting rid of mandatory sentences would be a bad thing.

In other findings:

- -Just over half said drug interdiction should be emphasized by government 
as a drug-fighting strategy - down from two-thirds in 1988.

- -Almost half said arresting drug dealers should be emphasized - down from 
six in 10 in 1988.

- -About a third said educating about drugs should be emphasized - down from 
half in 1988.

- -And almost a third said arresting drug users should be emphasized - down 
slightly from 1988.

One in nine Americans list drugs and alcohol as the most important problem 
in their community. Among rural residents, drug abuse is the leading 
community problem, with 16 percent citing it. It was almost as high among 
inner-city residents.

Drugs and alcohol weren't included in the top tier of problems cited by 
suburban residents.
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