Join Drug Fight, Zschau Urges County Residents

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Zschau called Monday for Orange County residents to get involved in the battle against drugs and proposed voluntary drug testing in schools.

The morning after a nationwide televised plea by President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, against drug use in this country, Zschau said at a news conference in Santa Ana that drug abuse is “an issue that is undermining the social fabric of our communities.”

Zschau, a former businessman and college professor, is challenging California Democratic incumbent Sen. Alan Cranston in the November election.

Reiterating many of the main points of the Reagans’ joint address, Zschau said voluntary drug testing is an “effective deterrent” to drug use in the workplace and endorsed mandatory testing for all government employees--such as flight controllers--whose jobs affect the safety of others.

“If those civil libertarians say those (drug tests) are not right, I would respond: Nobody has the right to risk the safety of others,” Zschau said.

While individual policies should be left to school boards, Zschau said, drug testing as well as education are two tools to stop drug abuse among schoolchildren.

Zschau also mentioned his vote last week for a House bill that would appropriate $2 billion next year to fight drugs. The bill authorizes the military to work to stop the flow of drugs into the United States. It would also increase the penalties for some drug offenses to include capital punishment and life imprisonment.