cannabisnews.com: U.S. Drug Head: Operation Snagged





U.S. Drug Head: Operation Snagged
Posted by FoM on October 14, 1999 at 14:01:32 PT
By Cassandra Burrell
Source: News Day
A request for information from a House subcommittee cost the White House's drug policy office $10,000 and brought its operations to a near halt for the last two weeks, the head of the office said Thursday.
An angry Barry McCaffrey, President Clinton's chief adviser on drug control policy, told the panel he was offended at the suggestion that his office had not been responsive to requests for details about its $185 million media campaign, including television and radio announcements, to persuade teen-agers to stay away from illegal drugs.``It is enormously important to me personally that I be viewed as responsive to Congress in general and to this subcommittee,'' McCaffrey told the House Government Reform Committee's panel on criminal justice, drug policy and human resources.``I have provided your office with more 12,000 documents. It cost me over $10,000 to do this. We have brought my agency to a halt for the better part of two weeks,'' McCaffrey said.Subcommittee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., said McCaffrey's office had done good work but it had delayed turning over requested information.``Based upon available information, there are signs of progress and there are also signs that raise doubts as to the media campaign's effectiveness and efficiency,'' Mica said. ``I now see a very tangled web of (media) contracts that appears overly complicated, expensive and untested.''Republicans in Congress have long criticized the Clinton administration for what they believe would be a lax anti-drug policy without their influence.McCaffrey said anti-drug messages on television, radio, print and on the Internet are reaching 95 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds an average of 8.3 messages a week, some of them made by celebrities who have donated their time.The messages have been translated into 11 languages, he said, and many are tailored to appeal to various ethnic groups.``We are reaching nearly every single American child on a regular basis with anti-drug information,'' McCaffrey said. ``This campaign is working.''He asked the subcommittee to submit more focused requests for information and offered to meet personally with Mica to nail down precisely what information the subcommittee is seeking.``They're just fishing -- looking for something,'' McCaffrey told reporters after testifying before the subcommittee. ``There is no lack of careful scientific evaluation of what we're doing.''AP-NY-10-14-99 1544EDTCopyright © Associated PressCannabis News McCaffrey Related Articles:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/McCaffrey.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #4 posted by RoMan on October 15, 1999 at 14:38:01 PT
There was a report?????
Oh yea "you cant smoke medicine"WHEW Hey Bill Im starting to get the hang of this politician stuff....Thats right just say it over & over.... there a bunch of idiotsevetually they'll believe it.R
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by BigAb on October 15, 1999 at 05:38:03 PT:
McCaffery
 A few days a go the "General" made a BIG DEAL of the names the kids were calling Gov. Johnson in New Mexico....I wonder if the general knows what the kids call HIM ?????
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by give me a break on October 14, 1999 at 20:36:24 PT
RE: careful scientific evaluation?!
I must agree. McCaffrey's hypocrisy in hearing only what he wants to hear is surpassed only by Congress's blatant disregard for America's voting public. I am so tired now of listening to politicians, esp. McCaffrey, spout the same BS all the time. Talk is cheap, but it apparently isn't when you submit it on 12,000 documents to a House subcommittee. Blah, blah, blah.......
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on October 14, 1999 at 18:55:31 PT
Careful scientific evaluation?!
This coming from a man who has tried to ignore the careful scientific evaluation of the Institute of Medicine' report on marijuana being a useful drug with almost no debilitating side effects. A report that he personally commisioned. A report that some of the finest scientific minds on the planet participated in and other similarly qualified minds reviewed and agreed with.He wouldn't know careful scientific evaluation if it ran up and bit his cojones. But, given his reluctance to debate reformers, perhaps he doesn't have any to begin with.
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: