TOM CAMPBELL: Congressman Gets Tough on Drugs
In what could be "the most important gambit of his campaign," Senate candidate Rep. Tom Campbell (R) countered claims that he is "soft on drugs" Monday by proposing a set of programs that would promote treatment for drug users and dish out stiff penalties for dealers, the Los Angeles Times reports. Campbell advocated using the $1.3 billion allocated federally for fighting Colombian drug lords to increase anti-drug programs for children, launch new drug testing and treatment programs in prisons and "greatly expand" treatment programs nationwide. In addition, under Campbell's plan, any adult "knowingly selling heroin, cocaine or methamphetamines to children under 12" would receive the death penalty. Another often-criticized aspect of Campbell's plan would establish a government experiment in drug distribution -- employing licensed doctors to distribute some drugs, such as antidepressants, to addicts. "If a locality wants to permit government health centers where doctors prescribe and administer on premises some of the depressant drugs to adults already addicted ... that's better than the addict buying the drug off the street, where the dosage can kill and the profit goes to the pusher," Campbell argued. Opponent Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D) campaign questioned Campbell's plan. Feinstein's campaign manager Kim Kuwata said, "With all the efforts (made) to combat drugs, we believe you send the wrong signal when you say that in California, we will give away heroin." With Feinstein leading by a substantial margin in the polls, some questioned Campbell's decision to focus on drugs when voters have indicated that education and health care are more pressing issues. Mark Baldassare, executive director of the Public Policy Institute of California, said, "I think (voters) have been telling us pretty consistently what they are most interested in, and I think there's a danger focusing on other issues that they are not" (Krikorian, 9/19).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.