FOR RELEASE: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
1:30 PM EST June, 3, 1998 Kevin Zeese 703-354-5694

Washington, D.C.: Common Sense for Drug Policy is airing a public education message featuring President Bill Clinton making the speech he should deliver before the United Nations. In the ad, an actor imitating President Clinton states:

• the war on drugs is not being won;
• the drug war will never succeed; and
• it is time to consider alternative policies.

The advertisement will be shown on Cable News Network, Headline News and CNBC in New York City, Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Jose and San Francisco. The educational message is paid for and produced by the non-profit public policy foundation, Common Sense for Drug Policy and will be broadcast 216 times from June 4th to June 8th.

The ad is being broadcast to coincide with President Clinton's June 8th appearance before the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drug Control Policy. The goal of the special session is to create a "Drug Free World."

Regarding the UN Special Session, Kevin Zeese, President of Common Sense for Drug Policy, commented: "Rather than employing effective drug control policies, the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on policies that spread HIV/AIDS to the general public, incarcerate hundreds of thousands of non-violent offenders and fail to prevent adolescent drug use. President Clinton should discourage the rest of the world from following this failed policy. The only thing we learned from the US experience was a war against our own citizens—a law enforcement-based drug strategy—does not work."

Common Sense was critical of the UN for its failure to allow an open discussion of drug policy. "The UN has chosen to sponsor a pep rally for the drug war, rather than honestly face up to the failures of current drug policy," claimed Zeese. "With two dozen heads of state coming together it would have been a good opportunity to face up to the ineffectiveness of current approaches, examine what is working around the world and chart a new course. The UN has chosen to blindly go forward with more of the same—no matter how ineffective it is."

Robert E. Field Chairman

Kevin B. Zeese President

When: Wednesday, June 3, 1998 at 1:00 PM EST

Where: The United Nations, The Correspondents Club 45th Street and 1st Ave., Visitors Entrance (If need UN credentials arrive by 12:45)

The script for the advertisement.

VIDEO: Clinton walking into UN and then speaking at podium

VOICE OVER: On June 8, the President Clinton will be addressing the

United Nations about the war on drugs, this is what he should say:

[Voice imitating Clinton is out of sync with his speaking]

Do you think the war on drugs is a complete failure? I do.

Do you think if we spend more money we'll win? Forget it.

We're wasting 17 billion dollars a year now. And, because we put hundreds of thousands of people in prison for drug offenses, prisons are too full so we put violent criminals out on the street.

Heck, we're causing more crime than we are stopping.

Isn't time for a drug policy based on Common Sense?"

Visit www.DrugSense.org

Paid for by Common Sense for Drug Policy