While we face threats from al Qaeda to our national security, an internal crisis also threatens our safety: substance abuse and drug related crime.

More than 50,000 people die each year from drug-related causes.  Of the estimated 16 million people suffering from drug abuse, only 3 million receive treatment.  Addiction and drug abuse cost U.S. taxpayers $200 billion dollars annually.  Drug abuse is a major disruption to schools and families.

Texas is taking powerful steps to alleviate this situation.  The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse works with about 200 public and private agencies to provide prevention and treatment to more than 700,000 Texans each year.  Today through Friday, Austin will host the commission’s annual policy conference, with 1,000 leaders and experts.  A federal report said that the commission “has significantly increased the state’s capacity and leadership in substance abuse prevention.”

The agency has become a national model by initiating prevention and education campaigns that specifically target alcohol, tobacco and marijuana abuse.  Over a two-year span, Texas has decreased seventh graders’ tobacco use by 30 percent.

In 2002, the agency started an inhalant abuse campaign to educate parents and youth on the dangers of inhalant abuse.  “Few parents realize that common household products can be deadly and that their kids can find lethal drugs right under the kitchen sink,” said Dr. Dave Wanser, executive director of the commission.

Texans are learning that paint, glue, and gasoline are dangerous products if inhaled. The number of children experimenting with alcohol and drugs is shocking –72 percent of Texas students have tried alcohol, and one-third has tried drugs.

At the heart of the effort against substance abuse are anti-drug coalitions of parents, teachers, religious leaders, coaches, and health providers.  We must fully fund legislation to support these groups.  In addition, the COPS program -- 100,000 new police trained to work with communities, families, schools, and businesses -- is an integral part of reducing drug abuse and should be expanded.

Comprehensive recovery programs combined with community outreach also will reduce drug addiction.  As a case in point, in nearby Center Point, the Starlite Recovery Center provides the Summit House for adolescents; an adult residential Program; an impaired professionals program; individual case managers who work with counselors and coalitions statewide, continuing to care for patients after rehabilitation; and live, interactive online group treatment program for adults and teens, which complements traditional strategies by providing confidentiality and at-home ease via the Internet. Starlite has more than 10,000 alumni after just three decades—Texans whose lives and productivity have been restored.

The White House Drug Policy Office’s five-year anti-drug media campaign, focusing on TV ads recounting the dangers of drug abuse and encouraging parents to talk to their children about the subject, is another major reason for the recent decline in drug use.

For the 2 ½ million heroin and opiate addicts, it’s past time to help them become productive citizens by promoting methadone, buprenorphine and suboxone to help them end their addiction without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

One solution we need immediately is “parity” for drug treatment, providing equal health insurance to coverage for other illnesses. In 2000 we succeeded in generating parity for all federal employees – but the private sector deserves no less.

As we confront national security threats abroad, it is equally important that we deter threats to our domestic security, and heading off the drug crisis is vital.  Ongoing national action is necessary to make real progress against drugs.

 

The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse will hold its annual conference in Austin Monday.

Click on the video to see keynote speaker former U.S. drug czar and four-star General Barry McCaffrey along with Doctor Barry Karlin, the CEO of the nation's largest treatment group, CRC Health Group, for a preview.

More than 16 million Americans are regular abusers of drugs and/or alcohol.

Drug and alcohol abuse kills 52,000 Americans annually.

Over a two-year span, Texas has decreased seventh graders' tobaco use by 30 percent and 19 percent among eighth graders.

Seventy-two percent of Texas students have tried alcohol, and one-third has tried drugs.

Former drug czar calls for emphasis on education
8/2/2004 4:10 PM
by News 8 Austin Staff

Education is one of the biggest and most effective weapons in the war on drugs, a former national drug czar said while visiting Austin Monday.

Barry McCaffrey, addressing more than 1,200 members of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA), said that by sixth grade it is critical kids are taught about the dangers of drugs.

For warnings to succeed, they must be continued through the college years, he said. But he faulted campuses for neglecting the anti-drug messages that primary schools put so much effort into inculcating.

"College administrators have to face up to it and have to have a healthy understanding for young people that we are paying an enormous amount of money to have them educated, and they walk away from that responsibility, in large part and when they try something, they get tremendous backlash, not just from students but parents and alumni associations," McCaffrey said.

The general laid out the social and financial effects of drug use. According to TCADA statistics, 609 percent of those arrested test positive for illegal substances.

"The biggest expenditure of our society are managing the consequences of drug abuse. It's prisons, health care, the court system," he said. "Every drug addict is a one-person wrecking machine."

McCaffrey called for more focus on drug education and insurance coverage for rehab patients.

"Communities have a drug problem. The metaphor you and I are talking about here isn't the 'war on drugs,' it's a cancer affecting all communities," he said.

Professional sports leagues, in particular, should do more to prohibit drugs. Regarding Ricky Williams's controversial retirement, among other things over marijuana use, he said trainers and coaches should be held accountable.

   August 3, 2004

McCaffrey calls on communities for support
Ex-drug czar emphasizes prevention, treatment
by David Kassabian,The Daily Texan, Austin TX
 

Former U.S. Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey was the keynote speaker at the annual conference for the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the Austin Renaissance Hotel on Monday.

Effective youth drug-prevention programs and cost-effective treatment services need to be the focus of the ongoing war on drugs, a former U.S. drug czar said Monday.

Barry McCaffrey said community anti-drug programs are especially important and called for more emphasis on prevention and treatment, instead of enforcement, in front of roughly 1,000 substance-abuse service professionals at the annual Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse's drug policy conference.

The commission provides funding for prevention, intervention and treatment services through contracts with about 200 community organizations that serve more than 750,000 Texans each year, according to the organization's Web site.

Communities must support prevention and drug-treatment programs, because chronic substance abusers are a burden to taxpayers, McCaffrey said. The total cost to taxpayers of a lifetime drug abuser is about $2 million, he added.

The vast majority of crime in the country relates to people dealing with some form of substance abuse, McCaffrey said.

"When you look at the men and women behind bars, particularly in the state prison system ... I suggest 80 percent of inmates are dominated by a substance-abusing lifestyle," he said. "That's not what is on the charge sheet - it was burglary, it was assault, it was fraud, it was male street prostitution - but the explanation is a life dominated by alcohol and chronic substance abuse, leading to unemployment."

McCaffrey, who was U.S. National Drug Policy Director from 1996 to 2001, stressed that the centerpieces of the Texas Commission's efforts against substance abuse should be education initiatives targeted at sixth- through eighth-graders and probation programs for repeat drug violators who commit non-violent offenses.

Efforts by federal and state agencies to fight drug use are not as effective as local programs, because drugs are more of a local problem, McCaffrey said.

"We have to make drugs socially unacceptable in the community," he said. "I don't think America has a drug problem; Texas doesn't have a drug problem; communities have drug problems."

College communities are also affected, McCaffrey said, because of poor anti-drug efforts by school administrators who are very reluctant to admit a problem exists.

"I think university leadership needs to be challenged by parents and political leadership - we put these kids under your control, and part of taking care of them is creating an environment where you will enforce laws on campus," McCaffrey said. "Alcohol and marijuana abuse on campus is why [students] get pregnant, they fall out of windows and injure themselves, they drop out of school, they don't live up to their potential; and college administrators have to face up to it and have a healthy sense of responsibility."

Key to facilitating substance-abuse treatment are recent advancements in pharmaceuticals, and health-care providers extending coverage to substance abusers, said Barry Karlin, CEO of CRC Health Corporation.

"In our view, the key is to get society to recognize that this is a disease," Karlin said. "There's a fundamental failure by society to see this as a disease; if it's not a disease, then people do not want to pay for it. One of the challenges all of us face is how to persuade society that substance abuse is a disease and the treatment works."

Because CRC, like half of the treatment providers in the country, is a private corporation, patients who don't have insurance must pay the full cost themselves or seek free treatment, which usually is less intensive.

"If you don't have the money to go to a private treatment center, it can be very difficult to access treatment; people may need a great deal of support than what can be offered," said Diana DiNitto, professor of social work at UT. "Inpatient treatment is not widely available to people who can't afford it. Some of these facilities need help in reaching a broader population, and they need resources, because the treatment dollars are stretched too thin."

---

    August 3, 2004

Ex-drug czar eyes better education
by Amelia Jackson
Special to the Express-News

AUSTIN — Gen. Barry McCaffrey, former national drug policy director, said change is necessary to combat middle schoolers' use of drugs that were once rare for their age group, like ecstasy and heroin.

McCaffrey blamed ineffective prevention campaigns that don't address drugs more often associated with older populations. He also said drug education for middle schoolers needs improvement in general.

"Sixth grade is the onset of exposure to ecstasy, marijuana and beer drinking throughout the country," McCaffrey said. "The numbers are pretty conclusive: The later it is, the older you are, the less likely your exposure to drugs will cause long-term problems."

According to a McCaffrey news release, 72 percent of Texas students have used alcohol and a third have used drugs.

McCaffrey is aware of Texans as young as sixth-graders using heroin, said Bob Weiner, his spokesman.

At a conference here sponsored by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McCaffrey and two other drug abuse professionals discussed ways to educate kids.

The age-appropriateness of the message is particularly important, the former drug czar said.

"You can't tell an eighth-grader if he uses marijuana he'll die of jaw cancer or lung cancer — he doesn't think he's ever going to be that old," McCaffrey said.

"You can tell them, 'You'll get pregnant, you'll look stupid, you won't get on the football team.' We have to craft messages for young people that are appropriate," he said.

Having retired from the federal government in 2001, McCaffrey serves as a distinguished national security professor at West Point, a consultant for NBC, and a board member for the nonprofit Phoenix Health Group and the for-profit CRC Health Group.

He was joined by the chairman and CEO of CRC, Barry Karlin, and John Lacy, director of Starlite Recovery Center of Center Point, outside Kerrville.

Lacy, whose 88-bed facility is owned by CRC, said plans are under way for a San Antonio outpatient center to open next summer.

He said getting help immediately is important for those with substance problems.

"The key is don't wait," Lacy said. "There's a very active Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous network throughout (San Antonio) where many people get the help they need."

---

Teleclip National Tracking Report
"General McCaffrey" OR "Barry Karlin" OR "Barry McCaffrey" OR "John Lacy" OR Karlin OR McCaffrey    Date Range: 2004/08/01 To 2004/08/11

1.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 4:23
	AUG 3 2004  8:00AM CT
	8 AM HOUR
	[**08:02:02 AM**] ON OF THE BIGGEST WEAPONS IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRYMCCAFFREY ADDRESSED MORE THAN 1200 MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE YESTERDAYY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE. BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. ... MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
2.	KEYE-CBS  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 2:09
	AUG 2 2004  6:00PM CT
	6PM - EARLY NEWS
	[**06:00:00 PM**] MANY CENTRAL TEXAS PARENTS WORRY THEIR CHILDREN WILL TAKE DRUGS. NOW EXPERTS KNOW AT WHAT AGE KIDS ARE MOSTLY LIKELY TO START EXPERIMENTING WITH MARIJUANA, ECSTASY AND ALCOHOL. TODAY, A HIGH PROFILE DRUG WARRIOR-FORMER U.S. DRUG CZAR-GENERAL BARRY MC-CAFFREY-CAME TO AUSTIN TO GIVE FAMILIES A FIGHTING CHANCE AGAINST THE PROBLEM. PAUL SERRELL HAS THE STORY-NEW AT SIX. THE TEMPTATION OF DRUGS IS AN OLD ONE. BUT THE STRATEGIES TO FIGHT DRUG USE ARE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. RETIRED FOUR STAR GENERAL BARRYMCCAFFREY DELIVERED HIS IDEAS TODAY AT THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE. HE SAYS PARENTS AND TEACHERS SHOULD WATCH 11, 12 AND 13 YEAR OLDS CAREFULLY TO KEEP DRUGS OUT OF THEIR LIVES. "THERE'S A HIGHER RATE OF HEROIN ABUSE AMONG EIGHTH GRADERS THAN 12 GRADERS. ""AND THEN WE START LOOKING AT 6TH GRADERS AS THE ONSET OF EXPOSURE TO ECTASY, MARIJUANA AND BEER DRINKING. MCCAFFREY MAY BE BEST KNOWN AS THE NATION'S DRUG CZAR UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON. IN THIS 1997 VIDEO HE'S SEEN TOURING MEXICO'S EFFORTS TO FIGHT THE DRUG TRADE AFFECTING THE ENTIRE CONTINENT. AT TODAY'S CONFERENCE, THE RETIRED GENERAL LOBBIED FOR SUPPORT OF NEW LAWS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR DRUG TREATMENT HE SAYS OTHERWISE, COUNTLESS LIVES WILL BE DESTROYED. "EVERY CHRONIC ADDICT IS A ONE PERSON DESTRUCTO MACHINE AND THE IMPACT ON THEIR FAMILY, THEIR EMPLOYER IS JUST SIGNIFICANT. "THE MESSAGE HERE FOR BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS IS THAT TREATMENT WORKS. HOWEVER THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT HURDLES TO OVERCOME. FOR ONE, ADDICTS CAN STAY IN DENIAL FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. AND TWO WHEN THEY DO DECIDE TO SEEK TREATMENT OFTEN THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. PAUL SERRELL, KEYE NEWS BUT THERE'S ALSO GOOD NEWS IN AT LEAST ONE PART OF THE FIGHT. EXPERTS SAY TOBACCO USE IN TEXAS IS DOWN NOTICEABLY AMONG BOTH SEVENTH AND 8TH GRADERS. THE STATE SAYS IT'S EVIDENCE THAT PREVENTION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS ARE WORKING.
3.	KTBC-FOX  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 0:44
	AUG 2 2004  5:00PM CT
	5PM - NEWS
	[**05:00:00 PM**] A FORMER U-S DRUG CZAR TOOK PART IN AN ALCOHOL AND DRUG CONFERENCE TODAY IN AUSTIN. BARRYMCCAFFREY SAYS KIDS AS YOUNG AS 6TH GRADE CAN TELL YOU WHAT METHANPHETAMINE MARIJUANA AND ECSTASY ARE, AND MANY HAVE ALSO TRIED ALCOHOL. HE SAYS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THOSE KIDS FROM GETTING HOOKED IS TO GET THEM HELP EARLY. THE LATER IT IS, THE OLDER YOU ARE THE LESS LIKELY YOUR EXPOSURE TO DRUGS WILL CAUSE LONG TERM ABUSE. YOU SIMPLY DON'T GRADUATE FROM LAW SCHOOL, HAVE A BABY AND START USING COCAINE. THAT ISN'T THE WAY IT WORKS MCCAFFREY SAYS MOST 8TH GRADERS IN TEXAS HAVE BEEN AROUND OR TRIED AN ILLEGAL DRUG.
4.	KVUE-ABC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 1:31
	AUG 2 2004 11:00AM CT
	11:00AM - KVUE MID-DAY NOON NEWS
	[**11:00:00 AM**] SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT THE ANNUAL TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCHOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE THIS MORNING IN AUSTIN. 52 THOUSAND PEOPLE DIE ANNUALLY IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE INCIDENTS KVUE'S KELLY SLIFKA IS LIVE AT THE ARBORETUM IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN WITH A PREVIEW OF TODAY'S CONFERENCE. THIS CONFERENCE JUST WRAPPED UP AT THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL. BARRY MCCAFFEREY, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY SPOKE ABOUT THE NEED FOR GRASSROOT ACTION NEEDED TO COMBACT THE DRUG CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY. OVER 1000 STATE LEADERS AND EXPERTS IN THE FIELD INCLUDING TREATMENT PROVIDERS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, COUNSELORS, LA W ENFORECMENT AND BUISNESS REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON HAND THIS MORNING. THEY ARE LISTENING TO STRATEGIES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND PROGRAMS THAT HAVE WORKED IN TEXAS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY. GENERALMCCAFFREY TALKED ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN DRUG ABUSE AND CRIME AND THE NUMBER OF KIDS IN SCHOOL USING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. HE BELIEVES IT'S MORE THAN JUST A WAR ON DRUGS. COMMUNITIES HAVE DRUG PROBLEMS. HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF FUNDING. HERE IN TEXAS THE D.A.R. E PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TEACH KIDS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH DRUG USE HAS ALREADY SEEN DRAMATIC STATE FUNDING.
5.	KVUE-ABC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 1:43
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KVUE WEEKDAY DAYBREAK
	[**05:00:00 AM**] SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT THE ANNUAL TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCHOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE THIS MORNING IN AUSTIN. 52 THOUSAND PEOPLE DIE ANNUALLY IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE INCIDENTS KVUE'S KELLY SLIFKA AT THE ARBORETUM IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN WITH A PREVIEW OF TODAY'S CONFERENCE. BARRY MCCAFFEREY, FORMER U.S. DRUG CZAR WILL BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. THE CONFERENCE WILL ALSO OUTLINE WHAT THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IS DOING IN THE STATE TO TREAT ABUSETHE NUMBER OF KIDS EXPERIMENTING WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS IN SHOCKING. 72% OF TEXAS STUDENTS HAVE TRIED ALCOHOL, AND ONE THIRD HAS TRIED DRUGS. THE CONFERENCE WILL TALK ABOUT CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE NEW STRATEGIES TO EDUCATE AND TREAT ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE. SOME BELIEVE THE KEY IS TO NETWORK ALL PROVDERS TO LINK CLIENT WITH THE RIGHT PROVIDER FOR CARE IN TEXAS WE LEAD IN THE COORDINATION OF SERVICES UNDER THE TEXAS COMMISION OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL AND THERE'S A RANGE OF PROVIDERS THAT ARE FROM THE NONPROFIT FAITH BASED PRIVATE FACILITY THAT RANGE FROM DOING DETOX ON OUTPATIENT TO INPATIENT IN RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES. TODAY DR. KARLIN WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE. IT'S AT 10:30 THIS MORNING AT THE RENNASAINCE HOTEL. ANYONE CAN ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. LIVE AT THE ABORTETUM IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN. KELLY SLIFKA, KVUE NEWS. AUSTIN'S NEW SYSTEM OF
6.	KVUE-ABC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 1:20
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KVUE WEEKDAY DAYBREAK
	[**05:00:00 AM**] SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT THE ANNUAL TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCHOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE THIS MORNING IN AUSTIN. 52 THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE DIE ANNUALLY IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE INCIDENTS KVUE'S KELLY SLIFKA IS LIVE AT THE ARBORETUM IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN WITH A PREVIEW OF TODAY'S CONFERENCE. BARRY MCCAFFEREY, FORMER U.S. DRUG CZAR WILL BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. THE CONFERENCE WILL ALSO OUTLINE WHAT THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IS DOING IN THE STATE TO TREAT ABUSENATIONWIDE, ADD ICTION AND DRUG ABUSE COST AMERICAN TAXPAYERS 200 BILLION DOLLARS. THERE ARE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROPLEM. DR. BARRYKARLIN, OF CRC HEALTH GROUP BELIEVES FUNDING CAN BE A BIG CHALLENGE. LEAD IN: FUNDING IS A BIG CHALLENGE. THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE INSURANCE WITHOUT EVIDENCE THAT IT REALLY WORKS WELL. IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR THERE ARE CONFLICTING NEEDS WE HAVE TO FUND EVERYTHING AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY AVAILABLE. THE CONFERENCE ON THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE. IT'S AT 10:30 THIS MORNING AT THE RENNASAINCE HOTEL. ANYONE CAN ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. LIVE AT THE ABORTETUM IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN. KELLY SLIFKA, KVUE NEWS.
7.	KXAN-NBC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 0:36
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KXAN FIRSTCAST
	[**05:00:00 AM**] BENNG ISMONTH, STUDENTS IN SAN MARCOS CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE SUBJECTED TO RANDOM DRUG TESTS. THE TESTING WAS APPROVED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS IN APRIL. IT INCLUDES STUDENTS IN 7TH THROUGH 12TH GRADES COMPETING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. STUDENTS, AND/OR RES MUST CONSENT TO THE RANDOM TESTING PRIOR TO PARTICIPATION IN THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. THE CONSEQUENCES OF POSITIVE TESTS INCLUDE TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT SUSPENSION FROM SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TEEN DRUG ABUSE STAY TUNED FOR A LIVE INTERVIEW WITH FORMER U-S DRUG CZAR GENERAL "BARRYMCCAFFREY.
8.	KXAN-NBC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 0:26
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KXAN FIRSTCAST
	[**05:00:00 AM**] STILL AHEAD ON FIRSTCAST FORMER U-S DRUG CZAR GENERAL "BARRYMCCAFFREY" JOINS US WITH AN UPDATE ON "THE WAR ON DRUGS" HERE IN THE LONE STAR STATE. BUT FIRST IN NATIONAL NEWS HEAR HOW THE WEATHER ON THE GULF COAST IS PUTTING A DAMPER ON THE LATEST NASA MISSION. THAT'S UP NEXT. PLUS FAST-MOVING CONSTRUCTION IS CHANGING THE COURSE OF YOUR MORNING COMMUTE. WE'VE GOT THE DETAILS AFTER A LIVE CHECK ON
9.	KXAN-NBC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 0:23
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KXAN FIRSTCAST
	[**05:00:00 AM**] NEXT ON FIRSTCAST WE'VE GOT THE LATEST ON AMERICA STRUGGLING WITH DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE WITH A LIVE INTERVIEW WITH FORMER U-S DRUG CZAR GENERAL "BARRYMCCAFFREY. AND IF YOU'VE GOT A FLIGHT OUT OF AUSTIN TODAY ON AMERICAN OR U-S AIRWAYS STICK AROUND. WE'LL TELL YOU IF YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE DELAYS TODAY. PLUS AUSTIN POLIC ARE INVESTIGATING AN APPA MURDER-SUICIDE IRTHEAS AUSTIN. TOP STORIES AND MORE
10.	KXAN-NBC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 5:31
	AUG 2 2004  5:00AM CT
	KXAN FIRSTCAST
	[**05:00:00 AM**] WELCOME BACK TO FIRSTCAST. LATER THIS MORNING THE "TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE" WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN. KEYNOTE SPEAKER FORMER U-S DRUG CZAR AND 4 STAR GENERAL "BARRYMCCAFFREY" JOINS US LIVE ALONG WITH DOCTOR "BARRYKARLIN" THE C-E-O OF THE NATION'S LARGEST TREATMENT GROUP C-R-C HEALTH GROUP FOR A PREVIEW. GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU. CHRIS ADLIBS INTERVIEW MORE THAN 16 MILLION AMERICANS ARE REGULAR ABUSERS OF DRUGS AND/OR ALCOHOLDRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AND/OR ALCOHOLABUSERS OF DRUGS AMERICANS ARE REGULAR MORE THAN 16 MILLION CHRIS ADLIBS INTERVIEW CHRIS ADLIBS INTERVIEWMORE THAN 16 MILLION AMERICANS ARE REGULAR ABUSERS OF DRUGS AND/OR ALCOHOLDRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE KILLS 52 THOUSAND AMERICANS ANNUALLY. OVER A 2 YEAR SPAN TEXAS HAS DECREASED 7TH GRADERS' TOBACO USE BY 30 PERCENT AND 19 PERCENT AMONG 8TH GRADERS. 72 PERCENT OF TEXAS STUDENTS HAVE TRIED ALCOHOL, AND ON-THIRD STUDENTS HAVE TRIED 72 PERCENT OF TEXAS GRADERS. PERCENT AMONG 8TH BY 30 PERCENT AND 19 7TH GRADERS' TOBACO USE TEXAS HAS DECREASED OVER A 2 YEAR SPAN TEXAS HAS DECREASED 7TH GRADERS' TOBACO USE BY 30 PERCENT AND 19 PERCENT AMONG 8TH GRADERS. 72 PERCENT OF TEXAS STUDENTS HAVE TRIED ALCOHOL, AND
11.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 3:59
	AUG 2 2004  8:00PM CT
	8 PM HOUR
	[**08:12:10 PM**]  THE BIGGEST WEAPON IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRYMCCAFFREY ADDRESSED OVER 12- HUNDRED MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE MONDAY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE. BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. ... MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
12.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 4:00
	AUG 2 2004  7:00PM CT
	7 PM HOUR
	[**07:12:08 PM**]  THE BIGGEST WEAPON IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRYMCCAFFREY ADDRESSED OVER 1,200 MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE MONDAY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE. BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. ... MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
13.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 3:47
	AUG 2 2004  6:00PM CT
	6 PM HOUR
	[**06:22:55 PM**] THE BIGGEST WEAPON IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRYMCCAFFREY ADDRESSED OVER 1200 MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE MONDAY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE. BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. ... MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
14.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX
	AUG 2 2004  3:00PM CT
	3PM NEWS
	[**04:00:18 PM**]  A GENERAL AND FORMER DRUG CZAR SAYS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WEAPONS IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRY MCCAFFREY ADDRESSED SOME 12- HUNDRED MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TODAY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE, BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. "COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE TO FACE UP TO IT AND HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTHY UNDERSTANDING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE ARE PAYING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE THEM EDUCATED, AND THEY WALK AWAY FROM THAT RESPONSIBILITY, IN LARGE PART AND WHEN THEY TRY SOMETHING, THEY GET TREMENDOUS BACKLASH, NOT JUST FROM STUDENTS BUT PARENTS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS. MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
15.	NEWS8-CABLE  AUSTIN, TX
	AUG 2 2004  3:00PM CT
	3PM NEWS
	[**04:31:00 PM**] A GENERAL AND FORMER DRUG CZAR SAYS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WEAPONS IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS EDUCATION. BARRY MCCAFFREY ADDRESSED SOME 12000 MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TODAY. HE SAYS STRONG DRUG EDUCATION IS CRITICAL BY THE 6TH GRADE, BUT IT'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES THAT ARE FLUNKING OUT. "COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE TO FACE UP TO IT AND HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTHY UNDERSTANDING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE ARE PAYING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE THEM EDUCATED, AND THEY WALK AWAY FROM THAT RESPONSIBILITY, IN LARGE PART AND WHEN THEY TRY SOMETHING, THEY GET TREMENDOUS BACKLASH, NOT JUST FROM STUDENTS BUT PARENTS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS. MCCAFFREY SAID PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. REGARDING RICKY WILLIAMS CONTROVERSIAL RETIREMENT OVER MARIJUANA USE, HE SAID TRAINERS AND COACHES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOT JUST THE ATHLETES.
16.	KVUE-ABC  AUSTIN, TX	Run Time: 0:53
	AUG 1 2004 10:00PM CT
	10PM LATE NEWS
	[**10:00:00 PM**] ONE EXPERT SAYS THE WAR ON DRUGS ONLY WORKS UP TO A POINT. HERE IN TEXAS, 72 PERCENT OF STUDENTS HAVE TRIED ALCOHOL ONE THIRD HAVE TRIED OTHER DRUGS. NATIONWIDE ADDICTION AND DRUG ABUSE COST AMERICAN TAXPAYERS 200 BILLION DOLLARS. THERE ARE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS TRYING FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. SOME ADVOCATE MORE FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR ANITDRUG COALITIONS. IT ALL STARTS WHEN YOU'RE AN ADOLESCENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT IF YOU CAN GET THROUGH YOUR CHILDHOOD GET TO THE AGE OF 21 WITHOUT BECOMING ADDICTED TO IT THERE'S A 97% CHANCE YOU WILL NEVER GET ADDICTED. THOUGH THE KEY IS 1 EDUCATION; 2 INTERVENTION AND 3 TREATMENT. TOMORROW DR. KARLIN WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE. ANYONE CAN ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. IT IS AT 10-30 IN THE MORNING AT THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL IN THE ARBORETUM.

Report Generated:	2004/08/11 08:35:45.374 (CT)
Total Story Count:	16
Total Run Time:	31:25

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MEDIA INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR

DR. KARLIN AND GEN. McCAFFREY

During TCADA Conference August 1-2, 2004

• SUNDAY AUGUST 1,

9PM or ASAP following BRM flight arrival and BK and BRM transport to studio: TV interview w/ KVUE ABC 24 (pre-tape for news).
• 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757

Anchor: Amy Johnston

• MONDAY AUGUST 2, 6:45AM

– Live TV interview w/ KXAN NBC 36
• 908 West Martin Luther King Blvd, Austin, TX 78712
• Anchor: Chris Willis

• MONDAY AUGUST 2, 8:05AM

– Radio interview w/ KPFT 90.1FM Houston (pre-tape for news)
• Host/Producer: Renee Feltz

• MONDAY AUGUST 2, 8:25 AM

– Live Radio interview w/ KTSA 550AM San Antonio
• Host: Brent Boller

• MONDAY AUGUST 2, 8:50AM

– Live Radio interview w/ KRLD 1080AM Dallas
• Hosts: Carla Marion and Mark Watkins

ADDITIONAL MAJOR MEDIA EVENTS:

* Op-ed by Dr. Karlin and Gen. McCaffrey on "Drug Crisis Action" to run in Austin Statesman, Monday, Aug. 1

* 10:30 AM Mon. Aug. 2 -- Gen. McCaffrey’s keynote, open press

* 11:15 AM Mon. Aug. 2 -- News Conference by Gen. McCaffrey and Dr. Karlin, joined by CRC Starlite Recovery Center officials, following Gen. McCaffrey’s 10:30 AM keynote. Press coverage also at lunch following.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONday, AUGUST 2, 2004

Contact: Bob Weiner/Taylor Jubanowsky/Sasha Varghese 301-283-0821/202-329-1700

BARRY MCCAFFREY, FORMER U.S. DRUG CZAR AND 4-STAR GENERAL,

TO KEYNOTE TEXAS ALCOHOL AND DRUG ANNUAL CONFERENCE

10:30 A.M., MON., AUG. 2, AUSTIN RENAISSANCE HOTEL; JOINED BY CEO OF NATION’S LARGEST TREATMENT PROVIDER, DR. BARRY KARLIN,

CRC HEALTH GROUP

10: 30 AM -- Mon. Aug. 2, Renaissance Austin Hotel -- Keynote Address;

11:15 AM -- News Conference by Gen. McCaffrey and Dr. Karlin following speech

McCaffrey and Karlin to Highlight Need for National and Grass Roots Action to Confront Drug Crisis killing 52,000 Annually and Regular Abuse by 16 million; will Point to Texas and U.S. Successes and Challenges

(Austin, TX) – Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey, the former Director of National Drug Control Policy, will keynote the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse’s (TCADA) annual conference, in Austin, TX, 10:30 AM Monday, August 2, 2004, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd. The event is open to the media.

At approximately 11:15 A.M., following the address, Gen. McCaffrey, Distinguished National Security Professor at West Point and network television commentator, and Dr. Barry Karlin, Chairman and CEO of the nation’s largest substance abuse treatment provider, CRC Health Group, will hold a news conference to highlight the need for national and grass roots action to confront the drug crisis killing 52,000 annually and regular abuse by sixteen million Americans. They will point to Texas and U.S. successes and challenges.

TCADA’s annual state drug policy conference will have over 1000 state leaders and experts in the field including treatment providers, medical professionals, counselors, law enforcement officers, business representatives, and community coalitions. A federal report concluded that TCADA "has significantly increased the state’s capacity and leadership in substance abuse prevention." The agency has become a national model by initiating prevention and education campaigns that specifically target alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana abuse. Over a two-year span, Texas has decreased seventh graders’ tobacco use by thirty percent and nineteen percent among eighth graders.

McCaffrey and Karlin plan to discuss prevention campaigns; crime’s direct relationship with drugs; the cost to America of drug abuse; shocking youth experimentation and abuse numbers for alcohol and other drugs; traditional and innovative strategies including Internet live videostream treatment, drug courts, and methadone and other ways to keep people away from opiate addiction including heroin and OxyContin; the impact of federal and local anti-drug advertisements; model successful residential and non-residential Texas programs; and national legislative priorities. At the news conference, Texas experts on these and other substance abuse issues, including the nearby Starlite Recovery Center of Center Point, TX, will join them.

Source: Robert Weiner Associates 301-283-0821/202-329-1700