For Immediate Release
January 21, 2000
Contact: Tony Iallonardo
Ph. (202)293-7330
NEW ANALYSIS SHOWS INCREASED ILLEGAL DRUG USE IN CITIES AND SMALL TOWNS
High Ranking Local and Federal Officials to Discuss Results at National Forum
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A startling new analysis of national drug data shows illegal drug use is increasingly prevalent in America's smaller cities and rural areas. The paper, titled "No Place to Hide" was commissioned The U.S. Conference of Mayors and prepared by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. The study forms the basis of a National Conference on the Drug Crisis in Cities and Rural Communities hosted by U.S. Mayors during the 68th Winter Meeting of USCM.
The paper will be released formally during the conference's morning dialogue on drug use scheduled for 9:00 AM to Noon on January 26 at the Capital Hilton Hotel. Scheduled to lead the discussion are: Boise Mayor and Conference Vice President H. Brent Coles, White House Drug Czar Barry R McCaffrey, CASA President Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Attorney General Janet Reno, SAMHSA Administrator Nelba Chavez, Acting DEA dministrator Donnie Marshall, and Clallam County (WA) Sheriff Joe Hawe. Other Mayors and local and federal officials will also participate in the dialogue. These principal participants will also appear at a Noon press conference at the Capital Hilton to discuss the CASA study.
Later in the day, Colombia President Andrés Pastrana will deliver a keynote address to U.S. Mayors. Following the speech President Pastrana, General McCaffrey and Mayors will hold a press conference to discuss drug control efforts and the Clinton Administration's recently proposed Colombian aid package. The speech will occur during a plenary luncheon scheduled for January 26, 2000 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. A press conference will follow at 1:45 PM.
All press must register to gain access to Winter Meeting events. Advance registration is recommended. This can be done by phone by calling the USCM press office or completing the press registration form on the web site, /68thWinterMeeting. On site registrations will be accepted in the USCM press room at the Capital Hilton Hotel.
The U. S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are about 1,100 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
