Drug Abuse Worldwide, Nancy Reagan Tells Forum

Nancy Reagan told the wives of 31 heads of government Monday that “we’re certainly all in very hot water” when it comes to drug abuse among the world’s youth.

The First Ladies’ Conference on Drug Abuse, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the United Nations, was hosted by Mrs. Reagan as a follow-up to a similar meeting of 17 wives of heads of government at the White House last April.

The women listened to presentations by American drug abuse experts and three recovering addicts from the United States and Europe. In contrast to last spring’s meeting, the women were not allowed to ask questions or to comment.

Sri Lankan Comments

But as Mrs. Reagan concluded the conference, Hema Premadasa, the wife of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa, simply stood up and started talking.

Thanking Mrs. Reagan for hosting the two conferences, Mrs. Premadasa suggested that the next conference be shifted to “a developing country so we can all observe first-hand” the special problems poor countries face in trying to conquer drug abuse.

Asked about the idea later, Mrs. Reagan told reporters: “I said we would think about it. The problem may be that we have been in this fight a little bit longer. The whole idea is to try to let other people benefit by the mistakes we have made.”

‘Mother-to-Mother’ Forum

Mrs. Reagan told the participants that their discussion would be a “nonpolitical . . . mother-to-mother forum.” However, Rosario Maria Murillo, wife of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, used the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Reagan about the deteriorating relations between their two governments.