MCPC - Macomb County Prevention Coalition, drug-free schools, ken lampar, macomb, michigan

return to articles

macomb daily letterhead

Drug czar says war on drugs is working

By Frank DeFrank, Macomb Daily Staff Writer December 05, 2002

Macomb Daily photo by Craig GaffieldCraig Yaldoo, Michigan's drug czar, spoke Wednesday at a luncheon given by the Warren, Center Line, Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce.

If you want to pick a fight with Craig Yaldoo, simply suggest the war on drugs is a failure.

"There's this idea or notion that we've lost the war on drugs, that it's not worth fighting," said Yaldoo, Michigan's drug czar. "(People ask), 'How can I support a strategy that hasn't been able to eliminate drugs from our schools, our workplaces, our communities?'

"Statistics don't support that assertion," Yaldoo continued. "Overwhelmingly, we have less drug users. Schools are safe and kids are not turning to drugs."

Yaldoo, whose formal title is director of the Office of Drug Control Policy, spoke Wednesday at a luncheon given by the Warren, Center Line, Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce.

He conceded "there's always going to be drugs out there," but he offered some facts and figures to support his contention that drug enforcement and prevention efforts are not wasted, particularly in Macomb County.

A study conducted by the Michigan Department of Community Health measured drug abuse "risk and prevention" factors in Michigan counties, Yaldoo said. Macomb County ranked 18th out of 83. Livingston was No. 1 and Wayne County No. 83.

Moreover, recent surveys indicate drug use among younger children -- eighth-graders in particular -- has declined in recent years.

"Macomb County has ... many things to talk about in terms of the war on drugs," Yaldoo said. "Many good things.
"Macomb County is going in the right direction. Whatever we're doing, we're doing it right."

Still, Yaldoo said, much work remains to be done.

Ten percent of Macomb's population -- about 77,000 people -- require treatment for substance abuse. Nearly half of those are alcohol abusers.

"It's a fight that's never going to stop," he said.

While Yaldoo lauded law enforcement, schools and other agencies for drug abuse prevention efforts, he challenged those organizations to take a cue from corporations and be willing to "reorganize and reshape" the way they do business.

"That's what keeps them alive," he said. "It's about challenging the process; giving people the tools and resources to enable them to act."

Specifically, he cited the need for improved coordination and collaboration of drug abuse prevention efforts. "There are a lot of programs out there," he said. "How do we bring them together?"

Yaldoo, a resident of Grosse Pointe Farms, also praised organizations dedicated to drug abuse prevention, like the Macomb County Prevention Coalition, as examples of "exactly what we need on a local level."

"Coalitions have been on the front lines," he said. "They've gotten off the bench and into the game."

Lucy Smith, student assistance coordinator for the Macomb Intermediate School District, said acknowledgement from the state's drug czar of local prevention efforts serves to "re-energize" those who make those efforts.

"It's important for a state official to recognize what we're doing," she said. "Some things are working."

©The Macomb Daily 2002