cannabisnews.com: A Frontline Series in Collaboration with NPR A Frontline Series in Collaboration with NPR Posted by FoM on October 02, 2000 at 14:28:18 PT Drug Wars: October 9th & 10th 9 PM ET 240 Minutes Source: Frontline PBS For thirty years the United States government has struggled to stamp out the use of illegal drugs. The drug wars have absorbed hundreds of billions of dollars, altering our criminal justice system and putting millions of people in jail. Yet, despite the United States' vast efforts to stop the flow of illegal drugs, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and other illicit drugs continue to thrive on America's streets. Meanwhile, international drug-trafficking has become a globalized multibillion dollar industry - one that is now an integral part of the world economy. Have our efforts been in vain? In exclusive interviews with both the "drug warriors" and the drug-traffickers, FRONTLINE - in collaboration with National Public Radio - presents the first television history of America's war on drugs told from both sides of the battlefield. "While we are breaking new ground by looking at the political economy of the narcotics business, we are also taking a much needed step back," says series reporter Lowell Bergman. "Our investigation shows that almost everyone agrees on how to solve this problem, but in the end we do not have the political courage to do it."FRONTLINE opens its nineteenth season with a special two-part report examining the people, policies, and struggles behind America's thirty-year battle against drug use. "Drug Wars," a PBS Democracy Project/Election 2000 special airs Mondays, October 2 and October 9, at 9 P.M. on PBS (check local listings). Through interviews with high-level government officials, DEA agents, drug lords, smugglers, and users, the four-hour documentary traces the history of America's drug war and the social and political forces that shape it. Concurrently, National Public Radio will air related programming.NPR's "All Things Considered" will present a five-part series with correspondent Deborah Amos during the week between the consecutive Monday night FRONTLINE broadcasts. FRONTLINE and NPR have agreed to cross-promote this television and radio programming to attract the broadest possible audience to the series."The purpose of the series is to tackle a very difficult set of issues," says series producer Martin Smith, "in order to see if we can make some sense of where we've been, and, ultimately, to see if we can shed some light on where we should go. Looking at the last thirty years we find that politics has always played havoc with the drug war. Unfortunately, good politics often make terrible policy.""Drug Wars" begins in the Nixon years and examines how the war on drugs evolved from the law-and-order president's war on crime and the startling revelations that U.S. servicemen in Vietnam were quickly developing heroin habits. Nixon's men responded with controversial methadone treatment programs. "It was an experiment that worked, and it worked to a very high level - way beyond anything anyone could have imagined - and it went on to have a profound effect on national policy," says Robert Dupont, head of the National Institute of Drug Abuse during the 1970s. "That's the good news. The bad news - and it's something I struggle with - is how it was lost."That would be the last time that treatment commanded the lion's share of anti-drug dollars. As the 1972 election approached, President Nixon began to shift the focus back to a traditional law enforcement model: more cops, more arrests, more interdiction. Yet, in the years to come, they would be badly outgunned and outspent by the drug smugglers. Next, "Drugs Wars" profiles the rise of the cocaine business and the inability of a growing law enforcement establishment to counter the flow of ever increasing amounts of marijuana and cocaine feeding America's burgeoning recreational drug habit in the late 1970s through the 1980s. FRONTLINE conducted exclusive interviews with the men who headed the once powerful Medellin cartel, the world's largest ever criminal syndicate, including Jorge and Juan David Ochoa, who tell how they entered the business and survived to tell their stories. Also, Carlos Toro, who helped run cocaine for Colombian smuggler Carlos Lehder, tells how the cartel could always stay two steps ahead of the law. "We felt on top of the world," says Toro. "We were invincible. We were totally untouchable. When the Medellin cartel was in full power...DEA was just like the sun: It's there every morning, we have to live with it, but we are not that afraid of it."Part II of "Drug Wars" begins with the story of how crack changed the rules of engagement, forcing New York's DEA agents to confront not just a new, more deadly drug but an entirely new order of drug dealers. "Traditionally, when you have a problem in a neighborhood, you go after the organization that controls the neighborhood," says former DEA agent Bob Stutman. "And you take off the top three or four people and you clean up the neighborhood. But there were no top three or four people. The 'organization' was a twenty-year-old guy and three ten-year-old kids."Because no international drug cartels or major crime organizations were involved, Stutman says the New York DEA office had trouble convincing the federal government that crack was worth the agency's attention. Stutman recalls giving a daylong presentation on the spiraling severity of the crack epidemic to high-ranking DEA officials in spring 1986. Yet it was the announcement that same day of the death of Boston Celtics draft pick Len Bias and news reports of his involvement with cocaine that hit home with his superiors, he says."It's a shame that the death of a basketball star had to change the nation's perception about a drug," Stutman says. "But that's exactly what happened."Bias's sudden death led to renewed federal interest in fighting drugs, as politicians again recognized an issue that would resonate with voters back home. The normal legislative process of exhaustive research and government hearings was abandoned in favor of quick action, with lawmakers and federal agencies tripping over one another to boost anti-drug spending, create tough drug programs, and sponsor stringent legislation.Michael Gelacek of the Sentencing Commission tells FRONTLINE that this rush to jump on the drug war bandwagon resulted in laws that provided for disproportionately harsh sentences, greatly impacting - and increasing - America's prison population. "The average time served for murder in this country is ten years," says Gelacek. "And we send people to jail for life for trafficking in narcotics."The final hour of "Drug Wars" investigates how U.S. efforts to stem the flow of drugs from Mexico in the 1990s were hindered by rampant corruption and collusion by high-level Mexican officials with the country's drug smugglers. FRONTLINE speaks with former Mexican police officers and U.S. DEA agents, who confirm the involvement of the Mexican government in both the kidnapping, torture, and murder of a U.S. DEA agent as well as the ambush and murder of an entire division of Mexico's own federal drug officers by their own military."Of all the shocks I've had in my career, that was probably the biggest," says John Hensley, former chief of enforcement for U.S. Customs. "That an entire [Mexican] military unit would be involved in protecting drug lords. And to the point that they would actually attack and murder Mexican federal drug police."DEA agents also recount how their reports of such corruption fell on deaf ears in Washington, where first the Bush and then the Clinton administrations were focused on increasing trade with Mexico."Virtually every administration has testified that Mexico is cooperating with us," Stutman says. "That is such crap it's a joke. The problem with Mexico is you don't know who the bad guys are."On camera, a former "primer" commandante in the Mexican Federal Police describes how the system of corruption works and how it reached into the halls of Mexico's presidential palace.In the end, the international drug economy has become a part of the legitimate economy accounting for much of our trade in the Caribbean region, as well as a factor in the destabilization of nations. A series of exclusive interviews with drug-traffickers and money launderers provides an inside look into how the business works and thrives despite a vast law enforcement, military, and intelligence community effort to wipe it out.Perhaps the most surprising thread running through "Drug Wars" is the agreement by virtually every drug enforcement official interviewed that the decades-long strategy of fighting drugs through interdiction and stiffer sentencing should be replaced with one that emphasizes drug treatment, education, and prevention - the hallmarks of the original drug strategy begun under President Nixon."Let's create an organization that says, 'Well, this year ninety percent of this budget is going to go into education and prevention,'" says Jack Lawn, former head of the DEA in the 1980s. "Would that work? We won't know unless we try it. But twenty years of doing it the other way certainly has not worked." Following the broadcast, access the "Drug Wars" Web site at: http://www.pbs.org/frontline/shows/drugs/ for more on this report, including: * Streaming video from the four-hour broadcast* Special reports on the CIA's role in the drug war and the new "designer" drugs* A behind-the-scenes look at the supply side of the drug trade featuring video interviews with former drug dealers and maps showing changing trade routes* Teacher's guide with classroom activities for high school and college students* Updates on new developments in the Colombian and Mexican drug markets* Revealing statistics from the drug war: trends in drug use, what's been spent on law enforcement and treatment, success rates of treatment methods, and much more "Drug Wars" series producer is Martin Smith. The series reporter is Lowell Bergman. Program co-producers are Doug Hamilton, Ken Levis, Brooke Runnette, and Oriana Zill. The senior producer for FRONTLINE is Sharon Tiller.FRONTLINE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Additional funding for "Drug Wars" is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Florence and John Schumann Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.The executive producer for FRONTLINE is Michael Sullivan.The senior executive producer for FRONTLINE is David Fanning.Read an Interview with Lowell Bergman:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/.lowell.htmlPress contacts for FRONTLINE: (617) 300-3500Erin Martin KaneChris KellyFRONTLINE XIX/October 2000October 9th & 10th 9 PM ET 240 MinutesCopyright © 1998 PBS and WGBH/Frontline Watch The Promo:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/promos/1902.ram Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 05, 2000 at 10:45:25 PT Hi Kanasby I sure can ask Matt if he would do that for us. That would be nice. I have a little chat room which I put together a long time ago but I never use it. Check it out if you want too. You need to accept cookies and be registered with Be Seen which is simple.http://venus.beseen.com/chat/rooms/a/442352/index.htmlPS: This is a little free one so not many features. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Kanabys on October 05, 2000 at 05:24:32 PT I meant.... Isn't it funny how you can type a comment and it seems perfect, then you go back and read it later and you fina ALL kinds of mistakes? I meant IRC in the previous post, not ICQ. FoM, if I don't see a response in this thread soon, I'll email you with the idea.Hey dank, that's my prediction too :-) [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by dankhank on October 04, 2000 at 19:28:14 PT: Colors ... If you hilight the yellow you can read it ...Found the info, too ... :-)Gonna get crazy, now, I predict ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Kanabys on October 04, 2000 at 17:08:36 PT Ya know what we need???? A chatroom. I think that would be cool. Hey, FoM, how bout it? Can you setup a link or something to ICQ or the like? I wouldn't know how that's done, but I like to go to chatrooms. I'm a member of several sites that have chatrooms and I think that would be a nice feature to have. That's just a suggestion. P.S. Sorry about the yellow in the previous post. Didn't know it would not show up well :) Bye [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 04, 2000 at 10:03:17 PT: Your Welcome Kanabys! Glad you found the colors and the information helpful! We all like colors! I wanted to say that I saw this show yesterday and taped it and it was very good and I felt it was fairly accurate. It sure was worth watching.Peace, FoM!Losing the War on Drugs 20th Century with Mike Wallace Tuesday , October 03 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Chronicles the efforts of six Presidents over a 30-year period to dam the flood of illegal drugs from reaching American streets. Beginning with the election of Richard Nixon in 1968 through Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and finally Bill Clinton, we closed the 20th century without a victor in the war on drugs. [TV PG ] [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Kanabys on October 04, 2000 at 09:39:23 PT Hey there, FoM Thanx for the timetables on the TV articles. I will definitely watch them to see if they tell the TRUTH.I'm expecting some PR in there somewhere.Yes I found the color codes, :-) [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on October 04, 2000 at 07:29:51 PT: Funny Funny Funny! Hi Kanabys,It was so funny. I'm glad I taped it! After enduring the debate I watched The 70s show again and laughed and felt better. That says a lot about what makes many of us happy!PS: I am really high or at least of think I am! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Kanabys on October 04, 2000 at 06:13:52 PT Gut-Busting Funny I saw 'That 70's Show' Last night and nearly "Busted a Gut"!That has to be the All Time best episode of that show Ever!I hope McCzar was watching, but that would really be silly to believe that. Hey, I wonder what happened to the bucks that McCrappie gave to Hollywood to put in anti-drug themes? Seems to me that recently more movies than ever have pro-drug themes. Has anyone seen 'saving grace' yet? I want to when it comes to my town. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 03, 2000 at 19:16:14 PT: It Was Funny! Hi DankHank! It was so funny. The Reefer Madness skit was great! Also when did you start doing that the father said and then they went to the basement and the one kid had a big retainer in his mouth. It really is making my smile while I'm typing this. I taped it for my husband and am taping the debate now. When I can stop taping when this debate they call it is over I'll rewind and watch The 70s Show again! Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by dankhank on October 03, 2000 at 18:02:05 PT: Funny Saw "That 70's Show" tonight ... very funny ...I used to think that the show was a little goofy ...Now, it's just good to watch a show that mentions pot, and a funny one, to boot ..Peace ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 03, 2000 at 11:50:12 PT Kanabys I Found More Information Hi Everyone,Kanabys made me start thinking about the History Channel and I went and copied a little bit of the schedule. I will be checking the History Channel frequently now.Thanks Kanabys!http://www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=3500020th Century with Mike Wallace Tuesday , October 03 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Losing the War on Drugs Chronicles the efforts of six Presidents over a 30-year period to dam the flood of illegal drugs from reaching American streets. Beginning with the election of Richard Nixon in 1968 through Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and finally Bill Clinton, we closed the 20th century without a victor in the war on drugs. [TV PG ] Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way Monday , October 09 9:00 PM-10:00 PM Marijuana In a series tracing the history of drug use, we begin our trip tracing the rise of marijuana and synthetic amphetamines. Marijuana, from the Indian hemp plant, has been used worldwide as a source of rope, cloth, and paper; its medicinal qualities were first documented 4,000 years ago in China. But it's best-known as the drug of choice of the 1960s. WWII U.S. troops were given an estimated 200 million amphetamines to fight drowsiness and battle fatigue and they're still used to fight depression. [TV PG ] Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way Tuesday , October 10 1:00 AM-2:00 AM Marijuana In a series tracing the history of drug use, we begin our trip tracing the rise of marijuana and synthetic amphetamines. Marijuana, from the Indian hemp plant, has been used worldwide as a source of rope, cloth, and paper; its medicinal qualities were first documented 4,000 years ago in China. But it's best-known as the drug of choice of the 1960s. WWII U.S. troops were given an estimated 200 million amphetamines to fight drowsiness and battle fatigue and they're still used to fight depression. [TV PG ] Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way Tuesday , October 10 9:00 PM-10:00 PM Opium, Morphine and Heroin An examination of the history of the poppy plant and three of its deadliest derivatives. In ancient times, the poppy was considered divine, but in the 19th and 20th centuries, its addicting and lethal qualities caused unprecendented national outrage, social upheaval, and even sparked two wars. Used by the upper classes as patent medicines, heroin became the bane of society when the working class began to use it. In 1914, Federal law banned heroin and opium, and restricted morphine to medicinal use. [TV PG ] [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 03, 2000 at 07:51:20 PT: The 70's Show - Reefer Madness Hi Everyone, If you haven't ever seen this program you should watch it tonight. It is the season premiere and it looks really funny! Kanabys I'll keep my eyes on The History Channel next week too. The History Channel is great!Peace, FoM!"Reefer Madness" – Tuesday, October 3rd, 2000Worried that the kids are about to become crazed dope fiends straight out of "Reefer Madness," Red decides that discipline is what they need, and he's just the guy to make sure they get it.THAT '70s SHOW airing brand new episodes Tuesdays at 8:00PM (ET/PT), 7:00PM (CT/MT) on FOX!That 70's Showhttp://www.that70sshow.com/index_home.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Kanabys on October 03, 2000 at 06:12:38 PT History Channel I don't know if anyone watches the History Channel, but I saw that next week, all week, they are going to show some series on Illicit drugs. I don't know what time it shows, but it's at night sometime, all next week. I don't know if it will be any good, but I'll give it a try. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Phyro on October 03, 2000 at 00:32:31 PT OOPS they didnt say that did thay !!!! This is a Step on the foot of the anite's thiss tells it the way it is . ( Even the DEA thinks its time for a change!!!) [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by freedom fighter on October 02, 2000 at 17:03:19 PT I wondered why didn't they start with this harry anslinger in 1930's instead of Tricky Dick? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by dankhank on October 02, 2000 at 14:59:11 PT: When? I called my local PBS here in OK and they said that the Drug War shows will air here on the 9th and the 10th of Oct.Tonight, the 2nd, is the "season opener" according to my 9ocal TV guide and the helpful lady at OETA.Happy hunting for you local broadcast ....Peace ... HEMP n STUFF [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: