The war on drugs is not over
Real leadership from Washington is rare - respond when it comes
From Kentucky Citizen Digest, March, 1998

During the Reagan administration, the federal government waged what came to be known as the “war on drugs.” A determined, high profile “drug czar” was appointed in the person of William Bennett. Using the tools at his disposal (the chief of which was the bully pulpit of his office) he headed what appeared to be less a federal agency than a movement against drug abuse. In recent years, however, the war on drugs seems to have faltered.

We have included the commentary below, from 2nd District Congressman Ron Lewis of Kentucky, because he suggests that the war is not over and that local involvement as well as federal is more important now than ever before.

Drug use continues to be a problem in our society.  It plagues our youth and destroys many young lives.  For that reason, I recently founded the Heartland Coalition Project, a broad-based volunteer organization dedicated to preventing the use of illegal drugs.

This is not just another federal agency designed to combat drugs.  This project is composed of local leaders dedicated to bettering their communities. Each member of the Advisory Board is volunteering his or her time unselfishly in this effort.  This is a grassroots, broad-based coalition based on the belief of volunteerism.  Our goal is to organize a coalition in all 22 counties of the 2nd District to cooperate with existing antidrug groups to heighten awareness.

Statistics show the best way to battle illegal drug use is on the local level, not on the federal level.  By utilizing parental involvement, education, and church leadership, illegal drug use is dramatically reduced.

There are several reasons why this type of program is needed.  The federal government spends over $13 billion a year battling drugs; a battle it is losing.  A government report recently released shows that drug use among our youth has more than doubled since 1992.  Almost half of those parents surveyed said they expect their teen to try illegal drugs. However, this is just the beginning.

Other national statistics show us the extent of the problem.  LSD use is at its highest level since 1975, when it was first measured.  Marijuana use among kids between the ages of 12-17 has doubled in the past four years.  Over 24,000 of those arrested for illegal drug use were under the age of 15.

Statewide drug arrests are high.  In 1995, almost 18,000 people were arrested on drug charges.  In the 2nd District, 2,200 people were arrested on drug charges.  Almost 4,000 of those arrested were teenagers, most of them between the ages of 17 and 19.  We can no longer stand aside and watch our youth experiment with drugs.  We must do something, and we must do it now.

For the sake of our children, I don’t think we should be shy about how we characterize the problem of drug abuse.  It is a moral crisis that must be addressed by national and local leaders.

I consider it one of my responsibilities as a public official to spur citizens to action.  This effort is a concrete example of how government can effectively assist local communities in reaching out to better people’s lives.  With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of our youth and keep them off drugs.

If you would like to find out how you can help in this initiative, feel free to contact my district office at 1-800-367-6676.
 

Key Family Foundation Contacts: Kent Ostrander, Executive Director Martin Cothran, Senior Associate Policy Analyst