Bob Dole: “Congressman Bill Zeliff has just held 2 days of outstanding hearings on the President's national drug control strategy.…”

“Congressman Bill Zeliff has just held 2 days of outstanding hearings on the President's national drug control strategy. I think those hearings were very important, and the American people ought to know what Congressman Zeliff and his National Security Subcommittee discovered. You may remember that it was Bill Zeliff who invited Nancy Reagan and a number of other drug experts from around the country to testify in March of this year, and who held an all-day hearing in April with Dr. Lee Brown, the White House drug czar. Mrs. Reagan testified that we have to get back on track, and she was right. The fact is that drug use fell each year of the Reagan administration, and up until 1992, it continued to fall. For example, monthly cocaine use dropped from 2.9 million users in 1988 to 1.3 million in 1992. Overall drug use dropped from 22.3 million users in 1985 to 11.4 million users in 1992. Drug use has gone up with 17 and 18 year olds, 15 and 16 year olds, 13 and 14 year olds. Now we are spending less on drug interdiction programs in this administration. But, as Congressman Zeliff's hearings highlighted, drug use since 1993 has been steadily rising. A 1994 survey of 51,000 kids showed use of LSD, non-LSD hallucinogens, stimulants, and marijuana all up. Cocaine street prices continue to fall, while cocaine emergency room admissions are at historically high levels.”