Speech #1050147505

Clearly. we can do more to reduce illegal drug use. but those efforts should not come at the expense of needed antismoking initiatives. President Clinton has already asked Congress to act this year on a $17 billion counterdrug budgetthe largest antidrug budget in our history. The National Drug Control Strategy increases funds for drug intervention programs for youth and for treatment programs. It adds 1.000 officers to the Border Patrol and 540 new DEA positions. Two hundred counternarcotics agents will be assigned to initiatives to combat heroin and other drug smuggling. In fact. some of the components of the Coverdell amendment duplicate antidrug strategies set in motion months ago.