Pubdate: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM) Copyright: 2004 Albuquerque Journal Contact: http://www.abqjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10 Author: John T. Huddy, Journal Staff Writer Link: to the ONDCP Spanish website http://www.laantidroga.com/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) DRUG CZAR TARGETS POT USE U.S. drug czar John Walters met with Hispanic community leaders Tuesday to unveil a national media advertising campaign aimed at deterring Hispanic youth from smoking marijuana and educating Hispanic families about the dangers of pot use. The Office of National Drug Control Policy's "National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign," started in 1998, aims at educating teens and parents about the dangers of drug use, particularly marijuana, and deterring illegal drug use. The new program targets Hispanic teens and families, using Spanish television and radio commercials and Spanish newspaper and magazine advertisements to persuade Hispanics to not use marijuana. Walters spoke at a press conference at the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority. The Housing Authority helps low-to middle-income families in Santa Fe find housing and deal with drug abuse and addiction. With Secret Service agents posted in the parking lot, Walters emphasized that marijuana is a "gateway drug" that can lead to other chemical dependencies. He said today's pot has higher THC (tetrahydrocannibinol, the active ingredient in marijuana) levels than marijuana from the 1960s and 1970s. "We have to stop living in the past," Walters said. The idea that marijuana is not addictive or even harmful is a misconception, he said. Pumping more than $30 million in the Hispanic advertising campaign (more than $120 million a year is spent on the overall advertising campaign) can only help so much, Walters admitted. "It's supply and demand," he said. "We're actively working with the Mexican government and Colombian government" to crack down on drug importation. Recent Drug Enforcement Administration statistics show that some of the most potent marijuana being imported into the United States comes from Canada, particularly "BC Bud," high-grade marijuana from British Columbia. And homegrown marijuana is also a problem, federal state and local officials agree, with cultivation techniques and resources available on the Internet to novice growers. Some Hispanic leaders maintain deterrence can be daunting, because there is the misconception among many Hispanics that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol. "This is frightening," Walters said. According to statistics provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 12 percent of youth marijuana treatment admissions involve Hispanics, and more than 157,000 teenagers enter treatment each year for marijuana addiction. "We need more help in New Mexico," said Pablo Sedillo, a field representative for Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. "New Mexico is very unique to the rest of the nation. I think there needs to be some adaptation to cultural relevance here." The ad campaign launched Tuesday contrasts with the earliest effort to curtail drug use, such as the 1930s film "Tell Your Children," also known as "Reefer Madness." That movie presented marijuana as a ghetto drug. The Spanish advertising campaign presents a more realistic portrait of the "munchy" drug, showing pot as being as prevalent in middle and upper-class Hispanic communities as it is in low-income neighborhoods, Walters explained. Two of the Spanish-language commercials show a Hispanic mother and then father confronting their pot-smoking teen. Another commercial portrays a stoned teen at the dinner table with his affluent-looking parents. Sami Jaber knows about the stress of keeping his children out of the grip of drug use and addiction. The Muslim American, originally from Jerusalem, has six children, ages 22, 20, 17, 13, 11 and 4, living in one of Santa Fe's toughest neighborhoods with a history of drug abuse-- Hopewell Street. "I spend most of my time, at least six hours a day, with my kids," said Jaber, who says his children are all drug-free. "If you want to keep your kids and your family safe, you have to give them the time and talk to them and be able to have them talk to you." Yet a root of the drug problem is that many parents do not have the kind of time that Jaber does to spend with their children, Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority director Ed Romero said, "because they are just struggling to survive... It's the cost of living problem." There is also a seemingly more tolerant attitude in America toward marijuana use; various states have decriminalized pot for medical use and as a defense in court, officials said. While synthetic forms of government-approved marijuana have been cultivated for medical uses, Walters argued "that is not the issue here." "To say that I want to watch Americans who are sick and dying die because I don't want to legalize marijuana, is distasteful... That's irresponsible," Walters said. "The reality is this is not a trivial or joking matter." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake