Some say total victory in the fight against drugs is unlikely, but a new national survey shows states are winning critical battles.

A survey of all states and territories by the Council of State Governments (CSG) shows effective programs are promoting unprecedented cooperation among law enforcement officials, delivering measurable damage to the drug trade, and setting innovative traps for drug dealers.

Most important, states are finding the workable components of a comprehensive anti-drug strategy, including reducing the supply of illicit drugs, making drug dealing less profitable, and promoting prevention.

"Our mission is nothing less than a mission of salvation," said Gov. Pedro Rossello of Puerto Rico May 1998 before the Council of State Governments' President's Task Force on Fighting Drugs. Rossello formed the task force of state officials from across the nation in his role as CSG president, and achieved a great deal of success.

Removing the Profit

In Chicago, special drug prosecution units focus on the seizure and forfeiture of drug profits. During 1992-97, eight units of federal, state, and local professionals were responsible for $16 million in U.S. currency forfeited, some $3.4 million in 1997 alone. These units serve as prosecutorial support for a statewide network of metropolitan enforcement groups.

The Chicago effort is funded with a federal Edward Byrne Memorial Fund Grant. The grant's primary goal is to attack illicit drug profits. Many states trace their ability to expand anti-drug measures to use of Byrne grants.

Stopping the Flow

Another example of federal, state, and local cooperation is the High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA) effort funded by the federal government. Typically, federal HIDTA funds encourage intergovernmental cooperation against the drug trade in geographic areas where it is a major problem. David Knight, who runs the Gulf Coast HIDTA out of Metarie, Louisiana, says the HIDTA task force of local, state, and federal narcotics agents targets violent drug traffickers. Federal funding has made advanced training and overtime pay available for agents.

Highway interdiction, an outgrowth of HIDTA, is nabbing several hundred drug violators annually and intercepting thousands of pounds of illegal narcotics around Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Major Ed Kuhnert of the state police said state overtime pay made the effort possible. "We're working cases that would have been impossible to do five or 10 years ago.

Similar efforts across the country are producing results. The North Dakota Highway Patrol installed highway signs reading "State Police Ahead" or "Drug Interdiction Ahead" to worry the guilty and comfort law-abiding drivers. The patrol stopped 221 vehicles in 1997, warned 100 drivers, and issued criminal arrests for 118.

HIDTA authorities in the Baltimore, Maryland/Washington, D.C. area analyze multi-state telephone number databases to identify drug sellers' telephone calls to likely drug sources. The effort has uncovered suspected drug criminals locally as well as in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, and led to wider interstate cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.

In the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico, police use X-ray equipment, trained dogs, and special agents funded by HIDTA to seize drugs aboard passenger or cargo flights at the international airport.

Washington state is taking on the growing problem of methamphetamine, a uniquely American drug. Since its start in 1996, a special team of the State Patrol has nearly doubled the state's seizure rate of "meth" labs and has arrested numerous drug dealers. Captain Daniel E. Davis of the State Patrol said federal funds made the seizures possible, but he said additional state funding would enable the program to expand. A state law, House Bill 2628, which took effect in June 1998, targets methamphetamine production and is considered a model for other states.

Wisconsin, through its National Guard, makes available to other states on request a C-26 aircraft to support the drug war. The C-26 has been used by 12 states to get vital aerial photography and thermal imagery.

The National Guard in 10 other states also makes specialized aircraft available. Colonel Russ Erler of the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., said the C-26 helps detect indoor and outdoor marijuana operations and meth labs. It also offers surveillance of other aircraft and vessels.

If a criminal in Delaware expects to receive drugs by private delivery services such as Federal Express or UPS, a surprise may be in store. The delivery might be made by a police officer. Delaware State Police funded a cooperative effort to identify and interdict drug shipments. Once identified, drug packages are resealed and delivered by police officers, who follow up with enforcement action.

Prevention Efforts

States are reducing the demand for drugs in a variety of ways.

Oklahoma is curbing the abuse of legal prescription drugs. An electronic tracking system logs every narcotic-containing medication in the state that is designated schedule-II under federal law. These are typically habit-forming drugs such as Percodan or Tylox. The goal is to spot "doctor shoppers" -- people who go to multiple physicians to get the same prescription, such as frequently abused medications like painkillers. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics identifies emerging trends in prescription abuse. In 1997, a University of Oklahoma study showed the program to be a valuable deterrent to drug abuse.

In Connecticut, a prevention effort takes the form of public education. The State Police Narcotics Task Force sponsors a speaker's bureau comprising 542 officers. They gave more than 1,000 presentations to almost 121,000 people last year.

Some states direct prevention efforts at youth. With federal funding, Iowa gives youthful offenders, ages 17-21, intensive supervision, education, substance abuse treatment, and life-skills training. And it works. An independent evaluation found that 64 percent of offenders who complete the program do not commit new crimes compared to 24 percent who do not complete the program.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Across Ages program matches high-risk sixth graders with elder mentors. Older adults use their skills and experience to provide support for vulnerable youth, and the youth are encouraged to provide community services for frail elders. Andrea Taylor, the project director, said, "Across Ages is a winning combination. It's an easy model to replicate. The program gives kids hope. You can't do that by lecturing. Kids need a model. All the research shows that kids need the presence of a significant adult. If not from their families, there are a lot of good people out there."

Temple University's Center of Intergenerational Learning administers Across Ages with foundation, community, and public funding. Independent evaluation confirms measurable student improvements in attitude toward school, elders, and their own future, as well as their knowledge about drugs and their reaction to situations involving drug use.

William B. Hanson created All Stars to get kids to think about their futures and the consequences of their actions. The program is taught as part of the health curriculum and opens opportunities for children to discuss ideas, opinions, and goals with their parents. Graduates of the program at Lexington Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are given silver rings with small stars on them that remind the participants of commitments made about drinking, smoking, sex, substance abuse, and other issues.

In Cranston, Rhode Island, teams of young people design community programs in substance abuse prevention, with the support of adult leaders. The effort is keeping kids involved. An independent count shows that more than 70 percent of the participating youths take part in community-based prevention the following year.

Numerous states and local jurisdictions have adopted a drug court model that prescribes a combination of treatment and graduated sanctions for nonviolent drug offenders and other eligible offenders who volunteer for the program. Successful completion of the treatment and sanctions means a reduced sentence, dismissed charges, or lessened penalties.

Judge Mary Noble, who has received national honors for establishing a successful drug court in Lexington, Kentucky, said the concept "asks judges to do more, and is paying off."

She emphasizes accountability. "They (the convicted persons) know they are facing the music. There is a connection between the judge and defendant. They are face-to-face each week. No one has ever paid that much attention."

Noble insists that offenders have full-time jobs or be full-time students, participate in accepted support groups, see a counselor on a regular basis, keep a daily journal, and live in a stable environment. "A key is frequent, random drug tests," Noble said.

As states pursue comprehensive solutions and perfect models with verified success, they are gradually eradicating drug abuse.

Robert A. Babbage, Jr., is senior managing partner of InterSouth, Inc., a decision management firm. He served as Kentucky's elected state auditor from 1988-92 and secretary of state from 1992-96. Recently, he served as a CSG senior fellow in the areas of criminal justice and corrections.

Reprinted by permission from STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS, December 1998. Copyright 1998 by the Council of State Governments