Pubdate: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 Source: Burlington Free Press (VT) Copyright: 2002 Burlington Free Press Contact: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/632 Author: Jim Douglas, Cornelius 'Con' Hogan, Doug Racine CANDIDATES TALK ABOUT DRUGS Jim Douglas Republican Iwas the first candidate for governor to identify Vermont's heroin and hard-core drug problem as an issue in the race for governor. I hope and believe my focus on this insidious problem has increased public awareness and will help all Vermonters understand the serious risk posed by the influx of hard core drugs into Vermont. Vermont has always been a peaceful place, isolated from the culture of drugs and violence that infects our nation's urban areas, but in search of new markets for their lethal commodities, out-of-state drug dealers now target our communities, our schools, your neighbors' children and, yes, even our own kids. The availability and use of heroin in Vermont is increasing exponentially, especially among our youth. From 1999 to 2000, the number of state and local heroin investigations increased 372 percent. The number of 18- to 24-year-olds admitted for heroin abuse treatment increased 464 percent from 1997 to 2000. Most tragically, the number of heroin overdose deaths in Vermont increased from four in 1998 to 10 in 1999, and 14 were reported through the first 10 months of 2000. I have spoken about the importance of expanding opportunity for all Vermonters. I will continue to speak out on ways to provide more opportunities to succeed, especially for our youth. But there is nothing that destroys opportunity more quickly than drugs. That is why it is so important to the future of Vermont that we stop the flood of drugs into our state. My Drug Education, Treatment, Enforcement and Rehabilitation Program, or D.E.T.E.R., will greatly increase the resources available to communities to prevent and treat drug abuse, and to allow law enforcement to combat more effectively drug dealers in our neighborhoods. To educate and prevent drug abuse, my program puts a drug counselor in every ju-nior and senior high school; funds after-school programs and job opportunities for students; and increases enrollment for proven, effective prevention programs. Unfortunately, we'll never be able to stop everyone from making the wrong choice. Therefore, we need to be prepared to treat addicts to help them kick their habit before it destroys their lives. We can keep drug users clean by adding more funding for drug treatment programs that have a record of success. If a program helps a Vermonter cure his or her drug addiction, we cannot afford not to fund it. The cost of drug abuse to society is just too high. We must also fund effective prison treatment programs so that inmates can be rehabilitated and resume a productive life on the outside. Eighty-five percent of Vermont inmates have a serious substance abuse problem. Unless prisoners leave jail substance-free and continue treatment after their release, they are destined to resume their lives of crime, threaten our children and further burden our social welfare system. And finally, we need to increase our enforcement efforts to make sure that drug dealers know that they are unwelcome in Vermont. Today, convicted drug dealers can enter your neighborhood and begin peddling their commodities without your ever knowing they are there. So, I have proposed a "Megan's Law" for drug dealers. Megan's Law requires that convicted sex offenders be entered into a state registry, and states may actively notify the public when one enters their community to live. We need to have a similar system for convicted drug dealers. No longer will these predators be able to lurk anonymously while they target our children for destruction. We need to send the strongest possible message to drug dealers that if they come to our state for the purpose of killing our children for drug profits, they will suffer the most severe consequences. In particular, if you sell illegal drugs to a minor and that child dies as a result, you should go to jail for the rest of your life. And if you are a young person considering drugs, consider this: If you're caught with drugs, I propose that we take away your driver's license for one year. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Cornelius 'Con' Hogan Independent I don't need to restate the problem of hard drugs in Vermont. It is serious, and it is growing. Stronger law enforcement has a major part to play. However, the longer term success lies in reducing demand through effective public education and community engagement in families and schools. We know the results when strong public health communication grabs hold. Seat belt use went up from about 30 percent to 80 percent using those techniques. We have seen a steady and strong reduction of smoking by our adults over the last 40 years from well over 50 percent to just over 20 percent today. We've seen the reduction of smoking with pregnant mothers, and we're now seeing the beginning of reductions with our younger citizens, which will accelerate, given the amount of prevention dollars that are flowing into public health communications about tobacco use. Vermont has also seen progress in reducing use of other drugs and marijuana. Under certain circumstances, but not often enough, treatment for heroin can have a positive impact. However, the cost of treatment is very high and competes directly with money for strong prevention and law enforcement interdiction. So, my views about heroin treatment are ones of limitations and care, and flows from my firsthand experience in Corrections. Self-help programs based on Alcoholics Anonymous principles and practice show continuing promise because they depend on the person who is addicted having looked themselves in the mirror and concluded that they are ready to change. That is the basis for any successful treatment program. Simply put, many people aren't ready for treatment. It cannot be forced. Prevention, interdiction and treatment, together, can make a difference. Prevention and education about the effects of all drug use, including marijuana should be Vermont's policy. Putting large sums of money into controlling the use of marijuana will not be at the top of my priority, in the context of the dangerous hard drug problem we are facing. The idea of recreational use of marijuana is one that will have to be continually assessed and addressed by the Vermont population. I do stand behind the humane practice of physician-prescribed use of marijuana for purpose of pain management. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug Racine Democrat Vermont cannot afford to lose another child to drugs. Heroin addiction and substance abuse are serious and growing problems. Kids are dying. Overdoses, drug crime and devastated families are now regular fare in our headlines. According to a legislative study -- The Elephant in Vermont's Living Room -- Vermont spends nearly 12 percent of our budget on the many consequences of substance abuse. Yet only 0.3 percent of that budget is devoted to prevention and treatment. We have to do more. As governor, I will work across party lines in the fight against drugs. My approach will include prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Reducing the supply of drugs by aggressively pursuing dealers and prosecuting cases quickly is an important part of the solution. But we must also work to reduce the demand for drugs through education, prevention and early intervention. PREVENTION: Education of our children about the effects of drugs on their minds and their bodies is the first step. In addition, experience with the New Directions program proves that educating teachers, pediatricians and parents about the early symptoms of drug abuse speeds intervention and prevents problems from becoming more serious. We have made a great start with funding Student Assistance Professionals. SAPs bridge the gap between prevention and treatment by not only identifying teens in crisis and referring them to community mental health agencies, but also by promoting positive values. Currently there are 98 schools that have a substance abuse counselor. A Racine administration will fund more, because prevention is the most effective way to combat drugs -- and the least costly. TREATMENT: We cannot afford to ignore the havoc drugs wreak in Vermont's schools. Almost half of our adolescents are in need of intervention or treatment for substance abuse. Kids who drink before the age of 14 are at 10 times greater risk for using heroin. Prevention, early intervention and treatment are critical if we want to stop heroin abuse. The good news is that treatment works, costs far less than incarceration, and ultimately improves lives. We must increase treatment options. Our prisons are full of people whose crimes were committed either under the influence of drugs, or in order to get money to buy drugs. Without treatment, addicts return to criminal behavior once their sentence ends. Successful treatment reduces crime and child abuse and puts people on the road to healthier, more productive lives. Although the 2003 budget increased treatment funding, there are still remaining needs for adolescent residential treatment, methadone maintenance, out-patient care, women's facilities, follow-up and recovery services. ENFORCEMENT: In fighting drugs, law enforcement must have the tools to go after the dealers. We must increase the capacity of our Drug Task Force, which investigates drug trafficking. In addition to the federal funding that put five additional officers in the force, the state should immediately invest $250,000 to add three more officers as recommended by the Governor's Heroin Action Committee. I support filling all the vacancies in the State Police force. Some have suggested a "Megan's Law for Drug Dealers," which would advertise where drug dealers live. In this matter, I am guided by my discussions with law enforcement officials, who advise that it is not good policy to tell people who may be looking for drugs where to buy them. At long last, Vermont has taken the first steps in the creation of a drug court. This approach to the criminal and juvenile justice system allows defendants to choose treatment instead of prison. If treatment fails, then the sentence is imposed. In the 49 other states with operating drug courts, most of the defendants succeed and become productive citizens. I will take the final steps towards creating a drug court. By taking an approach balanced between prevention, treatment, and law enforcement I am certain that we will decrease the horrific impact of drugs in Vermont. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens