PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE ON DRUG ABUSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A000700110034-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: June 24, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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WASH I N G T O N
June 24, 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF STATE
SECRETARY OF TREASURY
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
ATTORNEY GENERAL
SECRETARY OF LABOR
SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
ADMINISTRATOR OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
FROM: PETER G. BOURNE, M.D.ft
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AND DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF DRUG ABUSE POLICY
Attached is a draft of the President's Message on Drug Abuse
for your review. I would appreciate having your comments
by close of business on Monday, June 27. If we have not
heard from you by then, we will assume your concurrence in
the substance and wording of the Message.
Thank you.
NSC review completed.
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Drug abuse continues to be a serious social Droblem in
.erica. The lives of hundreds of thousands of addicts are
shattered by their dependence on drugs. Many communities
remain unsafe because of rampant, drug-related street crime,
and the immense profits made in the illicit drug traffic help
support the power and influence of organized crime. Among
young American men aged 18-24 years, drugs are the fourth most
common cause of death; only automobile accidents, homicides,
and suicides rank higher. It has been estimated that the
annual total cost. of drug abuse in America exceeds 15 billion
dollars. The disproportionate incidence of addiction among
..minority groups is of special concern. The level of drug abuse
and'its extraordinary cost can be reduced, but the job will
not be easy.
Drug addiction, which was once viewed as a problem of
America alone now afflicts people throughout the world. We
can no longer concern ourselves merely with keeping drugs out
of the United States, but we must join with the ccmmunity of
nations to deal with what has become a global affliction. Tile
must develop a strategy that addresses the worldwide nature
of the drug trafficking networks and the treatment of addiction
wherever it occurs.
We must establish our priorities carefully, giving our
foremost attention domestically to those drugs that pose :.he
greatest threat to health, and to our ability to reduce crime
in America. Heroin, barbiturates and other sedative/hypnotic
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drugs are the cause of 90 percent of our drug-related deaths,
and these drugs, therefore, should receive our greatest emphasis.
T;;e must create a balance between tough law enforcement aimed
at those who traffic in drugs, and quiet compassion for those
who become the unfortunate victims of drug abuse. At the same
time, we must set realistic objectives that we may reasonably
achieve with the resources available to us.
My goals are to discourage the abuse of all drugs including
alcohol and tobacco, and to reduce to a minimum the deaths,
crime and other social costs that arise when it does occur.
To achieve these goals our Federal resources must be effectively
managed. At present our effort is divided among more than
.twenty ' different, and often competing, agencies, so that.
our policy lacks overall direction. On March 14,1 established
the office of Drug Abuse Policy to coordinate the total Federal
effort against drug abuse, and to formulate our overall national
policy. This Office will seek to end the longstanding fragmentation
.among our international programs, drug law enforcement,
treatment and rehabilitation, prevention, and regulatory
activities. I will seek the counsel and active involvement of
members of the Cabinet on all drug abuse policy questions,
through a revitalized Strategy Council on Drug Abuse. As part
of the overall reorganization study of the Federal Government,
the Office of Drug Abuse Policy will examine the roles and
functions of the various agencies involved in this field and
recommend to me whatever organizational changes they may feel
would increase the efficiency of our national drug abuse effort.
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International Cooperation
For those drugs derived originally from plant sources
outside the United States, particularly heroin and cocaine,
successful diplomatic agreements to control the cultivation
and trafficking are the key to a successful strategy. The
removal of Turkey, once the source of 90 percent of the heroin
inthe United States, from the illicit market was the result
of such an agreement. In addition, the enormous profits
generated by the illicit drug traffic have a devastating impact
on the economies of many smaller countries, fueling inflation,
and draining tax revenues. The drug traffic also engenders
corruption and corrodes the political stability of otherwise
strong nations. Regardless of the drug being trafficked, the
economic, social, and political effects are the same.
We must work closely with other governments to assist them
in their efforts to eradicate the cultivation of drugs, and
to develop legitimate substitute crops for the frequently
destitute farmers for whom the innocent cultivation of crops
such as opium has for generations been their only source of
income. Interdiction capabilities must also be strengthened,
so that those drugs which do enter the international illicit
market can be stopped short of their intended destination.
We will continue to assist other countries to develop the
capability to identify and interdict major trafficking
organizations.
Since I took Office we have made significant progress. In
February I discussed with President Lcpez-Portillo of Mexico my
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deep concern about the cultivation of opium in his country.
Under his strong leadership an intensive eradication program
has now produced dramatic results significantly reducing the
availability of heroin on our streets from that source. In
addition, President Ne Win of Burma, and Prime Minister Thanin
of Thailand have placed a unique priority on the control of
drug cultivation and trafficking in their countries. Most
recently I have received assurances from President Lopez-Michelsen
of Colombia of his strong desire to work very closely with me
to curtail the flow of drugs between our two countries.
As a result of these efforts the availability and purity
of heroin in our country has dropped in the last six months to
one of the lowest levels in recent history.
There is, however, more that we can do. I am recommending
in addition the following actions:
(1) The Secretary of State shall attach high priority to
the international narcotics control program, and shall
continue to strongly encourage foreign governments to
curtail the production and traffic of illicit drugs.
(2) The U.S. Agency for International Development shall
include consideration of narcotics control requirements,
particularly in the area of crop and income substitution,
in all bilateral and multi-lateral development projects
for countries which contribute to the illicit drug
market.
(3) I strongly support the work of the United Nations Fund
for Drug Abuse Control (U`NFDAC), the United Nations
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Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the International
Narcotics Control Board, the World Health Organization,
and other organizations working within the framework
of the United Nations in their efforts to help drug-
producing countries find alternate crops, improve
drug control measures, and make treatment resources
available.
(4) I am instructing the United States representatives to
the loan committees of the Regional Development Banks
and other international financial institutions to use
their votes and influence to encourage rural development
and income substitution projects in countries which now
produce dangerous drugs but are otherwise eligible for
loans.
(5) Because of the need to improve international controls
over dangerous drugs which have legitimate medical
uses, like barbiturates and amphetamines, I am urging
the Congress to adopt legislation to implement the
Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the Senate to
ratify the treaty promptly.
(6) I will emphasize international cooperation among drug
law enforcement agencies, so that intelligence and
technical expertise can effectively be shared. I will
encourage other countries to send law enforcement
officials to work with us in major drug transit
countries to improve interdiction capabilities. This
kind of cooperative effort has begun in Bangkok where
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French, German, British, Dutch, U.S. and Thai
officials work together on drug interdiction.
Because of my belief that no one, anywhere, who suffers from
drug abuse should be denied compassionate treatment or medical
assistance, I will promote the sharing of knowledge and
expertise in these fields by the following steps:
We will support international demonstration and pilot
treatment projects.
We will support training, research and technical
assistance projects, including providing American experts
as consultants so that countries with significant drug
problems may more effectively treat their own addicts.
Law Enforcement
We must vigorously enforce our laws against those who
traffic in drugs, so that the attraction of large profits is
outweighed by the risk of detection and the certainty of
conviction. The Federal Government's job is to deter, and
where possible prevent entirely, illegal importation and major
trafficking of controlled substances. Drug traffickers must
understand they face swift, certain, and severe punishment;
and our law enforcement and judicial systems must have the
resources to make this prospect a very real threat. We must
make certain that our financial resources are intelligently
committed, revise our penalty structure where necessary to
concentrate on the actions (and the drugs) that are most
dangerous, and improve the administration of justice. Where
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drug traffickers are operating on a sufficient scale that they
have no direct contact with the drugs,we must marshall our
Federal effort to attack the illicit financial resources that
are capitalizing the traffic.
To bolster the Federal effort i am recommending the
following steps:
. First, I am directing the Attorney General to intensify
investigations of the link between organized crime and
the drug traffic, and to recommend, within 90 days,
appropriate measures to be taken against these syndicates.
Second, I am directing the Department of Justice in
conjunction with the Departments of State and Treasury
to develop, wherever possible, cooperative arrangements
with other countries to revoke the passports of known
major traffickers, and to freeze assets accumulated
in the illegal drug traffic.
? Third, to ease the burden on the Federal District Courts,
which must hear major drug cases, I support legislation
widening the jurisdiction of U.S. Magistrates to include
all misdemeanor cases with sentences of up to one year.
? Fourth, I support legislation which raises from $2,500
to $10,000 the dollar value of the property which can be
seized from a drug violator by administrative action. It
also includes cash in the definition of seizable property.
Amounts above this figure will continue to require Court
proceedings.
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. Fifth, For nearly a decade, the Federal Government's
financial support of State and local drug law enforcement
activity has steadily expanded. We should evaluate the
results of this effort, and determine whether Federal
participation should be reoriented or redistributed,
as well as assessing the most effective division of
responsibility between Federal and local officials.
The Office of Drug Abuse Policy is currently conducting
a series of policy reviews. The first such review
involves a consideration of the appropriate Federal role
in drug law enforcement, as well as border enforcement
issues such as border security and drug trafficking
intelligence. I expect to receive the results of these
reviews by the end of August and to act on them quickly.
In addition, certain other measures are presently under
consideration. I am considering submitting legislation that
would deny release, prior to trial, for persons charged with drug
trafficking offenses and who, for example, have been previously
convicted to a felony involving drugs, are on parole, are
convicted fugitives, have a false passport, or are illegally
present in this country. Such legislation would be intended
to prevent them from using immense wealth to post bail and
escape justice; it would include a provision granting the
accused an expedited trial. We will also consider increasing
the penalties for major traffickers. I will direct the
Attorney General to study the merits of these provisions, and
report back to me within 90 days.
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or, NOW
I also have under consideration changing certain provisions
of the Tax Reform Act of 1976. This Act was designed to
protect the right to privacy of our citizens. However,
certain provisions may be found to impede investigations of
major narcotics traffickers. I will, therefore, request the
concerned agencies to work with the Tax Reform Act in order
to determine over the next few months the difficulties, if any,
it presents to effective law enforcement efforts. If the Act
has too negative an impact on our prosecution of major
traffickers, we may ask for amendment of the relevant
provisions sometime in the future.
Marihuana
The use of marihuana continues to be an emotional and
controversial issue. Our effort to apply stringent laws to
discourage the use of the drug has not been successful. More
than 45 million Americans have tried marihuana and an
estimated 11 million are regular users. Drug laws should be
written to discourage drug abuse, but not at the price of
undermining respect for the law. Too often, they have
reflected moral disapproval and fear instead of reasoned and
dispassionate judgment. Penalties against possession of a
drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the
use of the drug itself; and when they are, they should be
changed. In that light, I favor the decriminalization of the
Federal law regarding possession of small amounts of marihuana
for personal use. The law would be decriminalized only for the
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use of marihuana -- trafficking in the drug would still remain
a Federal offense. This action would not result in
decriminalization nationwide, as each State would still have
the option to determine its own penalties. I appreciate
that the feelings on this issue vary significantly from one
area of the country to another, and that it may not be
appropriate to decriminalize the laws on possession in
every State.
While the evidence to date shows that the medical
damage from marihuana use may be limited, we should be
concerned that chronic intoxication with marihuana or any
other drug may deplete productivity, causing a person to
lose interest in his social environment, his future and other
forms of recreation. Decriminalization is not legalization,
it means only that the penalty would be reduced and a person
would receive a fine rather than a criminal penalty.
Drug Treatment
My immediate objective will be to widen the scope and
improve the effectiveness of Federal drug treatment programs.
It is important that we maintain the opportunity for all drug
abusers to obtain high quality treatment. Drug addiction can
be cured, but we must treat not only the immediate affects of
the drugs, but also provide adequate rC.Liabilitation including
job training so that an addict can regain a productive role in
society. In the past the Federal treatment effort has focused
heavily on the heroin addict while those dependent on other
druc^ nr c-nmbinations of drugs have often been neglected.
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To improve the quality of the Federal treatment effort
I am recommending the following steps,
First, in recognition of the devastating effects that
certain non-opiate drugs can have if abused, I am
directing the National Institute on Drug Abuse to place
high priority in its treatment programs to providing
care-for abusers of barbiturates, amphetamines, and
multiple drugs used in combination including alcohol.
Second, to help drug abusers return to productive lives,
I am directing the Secretary of Labor to identify all
Federal employment assistance programs which could
possibly provide assistance to former drug abusers and
to provide me, within 120 days, his recommendations
for increasing the access of drug abusers to these
programs.
Third, to increase the opportunity for Federal probationers
and parolees to receive community-based treatment, I am
submitting to the Congress legislation to repeal the
Narcotics Addict Rehabilitation Act and transfer its
responsibilities from the Department of Justice to the
courts.
Fourth, a sustained effort must be made to further
identify the reasons that people turn to drugs including
alcohol and cigarettes. We should seek more effective
ways to make people aware of the health problems that
drugs create (particularly cigarettes and alcohol) and
to respond in more constructive ways to the human and
nsvcholoqical needs that drugs satisfy.
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Drug Research
There has been no serious attempt to coordinate Federal
intramural research on opiates and alcohol despite the fact
that there are many commonalities in the two fields. A joint
Federal research center may not only save money, but may also
lead to greater scientific understanding of addiction problems.
I am directing that a study be conducted to determine the
feasibility of moving the Addiction Research Center, presently
located in Lexington, Kentucky to Washington, D.C. where it
would become the Federal facility to cover intramural research
not only on drugs, but also on alcohol and tobacco abuse.
Administrative Action
Improved treatment and prevention programs should be
accompanied by appropriate changes in Federal regulations;
administrative practices, and enforcement, among which are
these-
- I am recommending that special attention
throughout the Federal Government be directed to problems
related to the abuse of drugs that come originally from
legitimate medical sources and particularly barbiturates.
These drugs, despite their recognized medical use, are
responsible for many deaths and are frequently used in
suicide attempts. To withdraw from their addiction is
more difficult and more dangerous than to withdraw from
heroin. They are frequently oversold, overprescribed,
and overused. Therefore, I will:
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Instruct the Secretary of Health, Education,
and Welfare to undertake a study of barbiturates
and other sedative-hypnotic drugs to determine
which of them may be used with the greatest
safety, and which are the most effective;
Instruct the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the
Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to review
the prescribing practices of physicians under
their jurisdiction, and to discourage the medical
use of barbiturates and sedative-hypnotics except
in cases where it is unmistakably justified.
Continue the program, already begun at my
direction, by which the Drug Enforcement Administra-
tion is giving priority attention to barbiturate
offenses. DEA has directed its regional offices
and task forces to put barbiturate cases at the
top of their agenda, and has also begun to investigate
the "street" market in order to determine the
source of illegal supplies so that suitable Federal
action may be taken. In the near future, DEA will
conduct a special accelerated audit of the 120
companies lawfully manufacturing barbiturates
in this country and will also notify foreign
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gover:?men tsof our desire to see them maintain
strict controls over barbiturate exports.
Second, by letter to the commissioner of the Food and
Drug Administration, I am today indicating my desire
for that agency to undertake a review of those drugs
particularly subject to abuse to determine whether they
should remain on the market, taking into consideration
not only their safety to the individual but also the
dangers they pose to the public at large. I support
legislation which would give the FDA authority to apply
standards of safety and efficacy to all drugs by repealing
those laws which exempt drugs on the market before 1938.
A number of amphetamines and barbiturates would fit
into this category and escape full FDA control.
Third, despite the prohibitions of the Controlled
Substances Act, some physicians still knowingly and
often unknowingly overprescribe a wide. variety of drugs.
Through careful education of physicians, the prescribing
of barbiturates has been voluntarily reduced by 73 percent
during the last five years. For the small number of
physicians continuing to misprescribe these drugs
deliberately, I am directing the Attorney General, in
full cooperation with State officials, to intensify their
efforts to identify and prosecute these violators.
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,%me -- 'ROW
No government can completely protect its citizens from
all harm. -- not be legislation, or by regulation, or by medicine,
or by advice. Drugs cannot be forced out of existence; they
will be with us for as long as people find in them the relief
or satisfaction they desire. We also should not be unduly
alarmed by the use of drugs when maturity and good judgement
is involved in their use. But the harm. caused by drug abuse
can be reduced. We cannot talk in absolutes -- that drug abuse
will cease, that no more illegal drugs will cross our borders --
these may never be realistic goals. We can bring together
the resources or the Federal Government intelligently to help
protect the overwhelming majority of the public who never abuse
but for whom it poses the threat of broken families, a lost
child or fear to walk the streets at night. Beyond that, we
must understand why people seek the experience of drugs, and
address ourselves to those reasons. For it is ultimately the
strength of the American people, of our values and our society,
that will determine whether we can put an end to drug abuse.
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