Bush Infuses New Life Into Fight Against Drugs : President’s Speech Inspires Companies, Residents to Expand Their Efforts

Last October, it took three weeks for officials of Orange County’s Drug Use Is Life Abuse campaign to raise enough money to buy 700,000 ribbons for the county’s schoolchildren as part of a drug-awareness week.

This year, after President Bush’s Sept. 5 television address calling for a national effort to combat drug abuse, it took the campaign only two days to raise the $30,000 needed.

“It is a phenomenal indication of the people’s awareness of the drug problem” as a result of the President’s speech, said Tom Thomson, a Santa Ana commercial real-estate broker who sits on the board of Drug Use Is Life Abuse, a support group for the Orange County Sheriff’s Advisory Council.

Although Orange County has had an active drug prevention campaign, officials say the President’s speech infused the local effort with new vigor, bringing more people off the sidelines and into the drug fight.

One company, Pacific Mutual Life Insurance of Newport Beach, announced it had launched a drug education and awareness program for its employees as a result of the President’s speech.

Call Draws 800 Responses

A company call for its 1,400 Orange County employees to sign pledge cards signifying their commitment against all drug abuse drew more than 800 responses.

Elsewhere in the county, school, church and business leaders say the drug problem has become the dominant topic of conversation in the wake of both the Sept. 5 speech and a subsequent address Bush aimed at the nation’s schoolchildren.

“I think it’s made a tremendous impact,” said Vera Palomino, president of Manos Unidas, a Latino organization in Westminster that works with youth. “The kids, by listening to the President, have discussed what he had to say.”

The spotlight Bush provided came at an opportune time for the Orange County drug prevention effort.

Besides greatly facilitating the red-ribbon fund-raising drive, local officials said, it has broadened interest in recent events such as a “drug-free” community fair that was held in Dana Point and a drug-crisis forum at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana.

The all-day fair, jointly sponsored by the city of Dana Point, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Drug Use Is Life Abuse, was held at Salt Creek Beach Park and featured live entertainment, a spaghetti-eating contest and a volleyball clinic. Between 700 and 1,000 people turned out for the fair, said Dan Martini, a sheriff’s deputy who is head of police services for Dana Point.

Drug-Crisis Forum

Bush’s appeal to the nation weighed heavily on the minds of about 60 local scholars who attended a recent drug-crisis forum, sponsored by the National Issues Forum of Orange County.

Participants, who included some local law enforcement officials, debated the pros and cons of the nation’s crackdown against drug dealers and explored such alternatives as legalizing drugs altogether. The two-hour session concluded with no consensus.

“It took us 25 years to get here--we’re not going to fix this overnight,” said Ted Hunter, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was among five panelists invited to speak.

Afterward, forum organizers called it a success.

“I think the response tonight and the President’s proposal were both motivated by the same thing--a great public awareness of and concern with the drug crisis,” said Harriett Walther, executive director of the National Issues Forum of Orange County.

Westminster Police Chief James Cook, a board member of Drug Use Is Life Abuse, said that while President Bush really didn’t say anything new about the drug problem, the speech boosted local anti-drug campaigns.

“What the President did was look at what was out there and put words behind a problem we were all aware of,” Cook said. “The President is turning up the heat, and he is focusing the drug problem into a sharp, national perspective. People are now saying, ‘My God, we have a community problem.’ ”

Intensive Campaign

Before the President jumped into the drug fray, Orange County’s drug prevention effort had been under way for several years. The effort picked up steam last December with formation of Drug Use Is Life Abuse, a nonprofit organization made up of leaders from law enforcement, business, churches and schools. The organization uses anti-drug patches, decals and bumper stickers as part of an intensive drug education campaign for both adults and children.

In recent weeks, the group had distributed patches to hundreds of area soccer teams, and patches also have been circulated throughout the county’s junior high and high schools, said Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Miller, manager of Drug Use Is Life Abuse.

The group has been assisting adults by advising companies on how to set up workplace drug treatment and prevention programs, Miller said. About 40 to 50 companies in the county have developed drug programs with the help of Drug Use Is Life Abuse, Miller said.

Since the President called upon the private sector to play a larger role in the drug war, Miller said, additional companies have asked his organization for assistance in setting up their drug programs. One was Pacific Mutual.

“Pacific Mutual and its employees intend to be active participants in fighting this battle,” said Pacific Mutual Chairman Harry G. Bubb. “To win, we will need the commitment and vigilance of the entire community, including students, parents, schools, civic and religious organizations. Our goal is to provide our employees with the facts about drug abuse so that they can protect themselves and their families from its effects.”

Counseling Services

The Pacific Mutual program includes various educational and counseling services, as well as the signing of pledge cards provided by Drug Use Is Life Abuse. The cards declare, “YES, I want to join the army in the war against drug abuse.” And they give Drug Use Is Life Abuse permission to “use my name as one of many Orange County residents who has taken a personal stand.” Pledge cards signed by the company’s employees were presented by Bubb to Fountain Valley Mayor Laurann Cook in a recent anti-drug ceremony.

Pledge cards have also been circulated among area schoolchildren for the past two years. Drug education is part of the curriculum at many schools.

Even with these preventive steps, John Ikerd, superintendent of the Orange Unified School District and another board member of Drug Use Is Life Abuse, said the real answer to the overall problem lies in a joint effort with a national program, such as what President Bush is advocating.