OPENING STATEMENT FOR MORNING SESSION BY

CHAIRMAN CHARLES B. RANGEL

GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THIS IS THE FIRST HEARING OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON NARCOTICS ABUSE AND CONTROL IN THE 98TH CONGRESS. IT STARTS A SERIES ON THE GENERAL TOPIC OF DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY. THE COMMITTEE'S BROAD OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY CHARGES US TO COVER ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORLDWIDE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL DRUGS, INCLUDING DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MANY FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT DEAL WITH THE SITUATION.

EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE DRUG LAWS, OF COURSE, IS A

PREREQUISITE FOR PROGRESS AGAINST THE SPREADING THREAT OF
DRUG ABUSE IN OUR POPULATION. ILLICIT SUPPLIES MUST BE BROUGHT
UNDER CONTROL AND SEEN TO BE UNDER CONTROL

EDUCATION HALF A CHANCE TO COMPLETE ITS JOB.

-

TO GIVE

IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE HAVE AS OUR FIRST WITNESS THE ACTING
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION,

MR. FRANCIS M. MULLEN, JR. MR. MULLEN COMES HERE WITH A
WEALTH OF FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE, AS AN FBI OFFICIAL

BEFORE HIS PRESENT ASSIGNMENT AS THE HEAD OF THE DEA.

AS THE LEAD AGENCY IN FEDERAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT, THE DEA IS
OUR PRIME SOURCE OF INSIGHT INTO HOW SERIOUS THE CURRENT

PROBLEM IS, WHAT THE TRENDS ARE TOWARD WORSENING OR IMPROVING
THE OUTLOOK, AND THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE MANY-SIDED
ENFORCEMENT EFFORT. IN PRELIMINARY CONTACTS WE HAVE ASKED
MR. MULLEN TO PROVIDE US ANSWERS TODAY TO SEVERAL OF OUR
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. MORE QUESTIONS WILL OCCUR TO US AS THE
HEARING PROGRESSES.

I WANT TO STRESS THAT OUR MAJOR OBJECTIVE IS NOT TO CRITICIZE WHAT IS BEING DONE, OR HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, BUT TO SEARCH OUT WAYS THAT WE IN CONGRESS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO STRONGER ANTIDRUG EFFORTS IN THE MONTHS TO COME.

THE DEA ITSELF HAS BORNE A HEAVY BURDEN, AND HAS A LONG LIST
OF SIGNAL ACHIEVEMENTS, IN THE NATION'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUG
TRAFFICKING. WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE DEA CONTINUES TO BE
AS FULLY EFFECTIVE AS IT CAN BE, AS THE ADMINISTRATION REORGANIZES
ITS FORCES ON THE DRUG FRONT AND RESHAPES ITS MECHANISMS OF
LEADERSHIP. THE DEA'S ROLE IS CRUCIAL NOT ONLY IN OUR NATION'S

CITIES AND ON OUR BORDERS, BUT IN THE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS WE

PURSUE WITH FOREIGN ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC.

WE BEGIN OUR COMMITTEE'S INQUIRIES WITH AN OPEN MIND ABOUT HOW
WELL THE BATTLE IS BEING WAGED AND WHO APPEARS TO BE GAINING
THE UPPER HAND. BUT THERE ARE SOME DISQUIETING PERCEPTIONS OF
THE SITUATION THAT WILL NEED TO BE DEALT WITH EARLY IN OUR AGENDA.

THE NUMBERS OF HARD-CORE ADDICTS, AND THE PROBLEMS THEY CAUSE
THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS, SEEM TO BE INCREASING.
IN THE FACE OF

ALL ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, SUPPLIES OF ILLEGAL DRUGS SEEM TO BE
INCREASING FOR THIS GROWING ADDICT POPULATION. DRUG ABUSE

APPEARS IN NEW VARIETIES AS UNWARY PEOPLE SEEK DIFFERENT CHEMICAL
CHILDREN ENCOUNTER THE DRUG CULTURE AT YOUNGER

EXPERIENCES.

AGES, AND FEEL PRESSURE TO TAKE PART. THE DOMESTIC CULTIVATION
OF MARIHUANA IS SPREADING TO ACCOUNT FOR AN INCREASING PERCENTAGE
OF THE NATION'S CONSUMPTION.

DESPITE THESE SIGNS OF TROUBLE, THERE HAS BEEN NO CORRESPONDING
INCREASE IN THE RESOURCES DEVOTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO
DRUG ENFORCEMENT, OR REQUESTED FOR THE FUTURE. ON THE CONTRARY,
THE NUMBERS OF DEA AGENTS NOW IN THE FIELD, FOR INSTANCE, ARE
WELL BELOW THE PEAK LEVELS OF A FEW YEARS BACK. PERHAPS THERE
ARE EFFICIENCIES, OR ALTERNATE WAYS OF GETTING THE WORK DONE,
BUT THE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THESE ARE.

AS AN ALL-EMBRACING MATTER, THE COMMITTEE EVENTUALLY HAS TO
MAKE SOME CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S
ENTIRE DRUG STRATEGY, AND ITS WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR WHAT IS
NEEDED. OUR INITIAL LOOK AT ENFORCEMENT IS A GOOD PLACE TO
START.

THERE ARE WAYS TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENFORCEMENT.
WE CAN LOOK AT ARRESTS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE ARRESTED
AND CONVICTED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND AT THE QUANTITIES OF
DRUGS SEIZED AND THEIR VALUE IN THE ILLICIT MARKET. ULTIMATELY,
THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS MUST BE THE SITUATION THAT REMAINS
AFTER THE DRAMATIC DRUG BUST HAS BEEN MADE: IS HEROIN STILL
PLENTIFUL ON THE STREET, ARE ADDICTS AND ARMED DRUG DEALERS
STILL MENACING PEACEFUL CITIZENS, ARE WE STILL FACING GRAVE
HUMAN AND ECONOMIC DAMAGE FROM THE WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF
ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES?

PERHAPS SOME PARTS OF THE PROBLEM ARE OUT OF THE IMMEDIATE RANGE OF OUR OWN ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, LIKE THE PRODUCTION OF U.S.BOUND DRUGS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. HOW CAN WE BETTER USE DIPLOMACY, AND FOREIGN AID TO PURSUE REMEDIES ABROAD? THE DEA, WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE, CAN HELP US WITH THIS

DIMENSION OF THE DRUG TRADE AS WELL.

I FEEL SURE THAT MR. MULLEN HAS A LOT OF THE ANSWERS WE ARE
SEEKING AND WILL GLADLY SHARE THEM WITH US. I WELCOME HIM
TO THIS PROCEEDING. BEFORE HEARING FROM MR. MULLEN, DO ANY
OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEE WISH TO MAKE OPENING COMMENTS?

PREPARED STATEMENT OF

FRANCIS M. MULLEN, JR.

ACTING ADMINISTRATOR,

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Chairman Rangel and distinguished members of the Select

Committee:

I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before this Committee today to discuss the Drug Enforcement Administration's role in the implementation of the 1982 Federal Strategy for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking.

Mr. Chairman, I know that you and the other members of the Committee join me in being encouraged by recent evidence that certain elements of drug abuse in the U. S. have abated somewhat: marihuana use among teenagers appears to be down slightly, the sharp increase in PCP abuse experienced during the past decade is tapering off, and we have seen a significant reduction in abuse of methaqualone in the past year. However, our optimism over these specific positive trends must be tempered by the hard realization that the seriousness of the drug abuse problem overall remains with us and drug abuse levels remain unacceptably high.

National trends project that major drugs of abuse will continue

to be abundant at least through 1985, and our drug abuse problems will remain as long as there is a world glut in narcotics and dangerous drugs.