National Drug

WASHINGTON -- The Baltimore-Washington area was designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the federal government today, opening the way for an infusion of federal money into the region.The official announcement, at mid-day at the White House, makes the Baltimore-Washington area the nation's fifth region to receive the designation under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.The designation will bring about $3 million in federal funds into the area for a "comprehensive strategy to combat drugs," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md.

CRIMINOLOGIST Michael Dana argued eloquently in Friday's Sun about the need for drug-abuse prevention. However, "and" rather than "or" is the operative word here -- whether we're talking about anti-drug television commercials and entertainment initiatives, drug education in homes and schools, or the proverbial debate over demand-reduction vs. supply-reduction. No single approach, to the exclusion of others, will be successful in overcoming the threat posed by illegal drugs. Prevention and treatment, like local and national efforts, must work in tandem.

A 20-year-old Westminster man died last month of narcotic intoxication -- snorted heroin -- complicated by bronchial pneumonia, Westminster police said yesterday. Michael E. DePinto was found by his mother about 7 p.m. March 16 at the apartment he shared with his parents in the first block of Westmoreland St. His parents had been in West Virginia and were snowed in, delaying their return, said police Capt. Dean A. Brewer. Police received the final toxicology reports on DePinto's death yesterday.

State health officials took the unusual step Thursday of suspending the authority of a Salisbury pain doctor to write prescriptions for opiates, narcotics and all other controlled dangerous substances commonly used to treat pain. The officials said Dr. Brent R. Fox wasn't conducting thorough exams of patients and was prescribing drugs in amounts outside of the standards. They will consider a permanent revocation next week and have referred the case to the state Board of Physicians for investigation of his right to practice medicine.

William J. Bennett plans to resign within a few days as the nation's leading anti-drug fighter, an administration official says.The official said last night the White House would formally announce the resignation this week.Bennett, 47, is the nation's first director of National Drug Control Policy. Aides have said he has grown visibly restless in the job in recent months, a result of less attention by the Bush administration and the press about the drug crisis."I think he feels that he has accomplished the key things he had to accomplish, which was to get things in the right direction," said the official, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified.

WASHINGTON -- A White House ceremony is set for this morning to nominate Florida Gov. Bob Martinez to lead the nation's crusade against illegal drugs.In choosing Mr. Martinez, President Bush rejected advice to pick "a Washington insider" as his next "drug czar." Instead, the president turned to a political ally with 12 years of government experience in a state that has grappled with the drug problem.Some members of Congress and drug policy analysts say that because Mr. Martinez was Mr. Bush's first choice for the job, the governor should command cooperation among the nearly three dozen agencies involved in the government's war against drugs.

WASHINGTON -- Congressional leaders criticized the Bush administration yesterday for overstating its gains in reducing drug abuse, and the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman said the government should spend $3 billion more than the White House has proposed next year for the war on drugs.Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., released his own 198-page plan fight drugs a week after the Bush administration presented its annual update on suppressing narcotics. Senate and House committees held separate hearings yesterday to review the administration's plan.

25 years ago (week of Nov. 22-28, 1970) The Board of Education approved "Project Awareness '71," which would be county-level implementation of the National Drug Education Training Program. The program would educate teachers about drug use as well as reach out to young people in the community.50 years ago (week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 1945) Four buildings belonging to the Howard County Farmers Cooperative at Frederick Road and St. Johns Lane were destroyed by fire. In spite of heavy rains drenching the area, firefighters were unable to quench the blaze because their usual water supply in that area, MacCubbin's Ice Pond, had recently been drained.

WASHINGTON -- Concluding that drug rehabilitation programs are "a neglected front line in the war against drug abuse," a panel of experts is proposing a shift in federal resources to improve and expand the nation's drug treatment system.In a study undertaken by the prestigious Institute of Medicine, researchers found that rehabilitation is an important and cost-effective means of fighting the war on drugs."The treatment methods available today can yield benefits . . . that well exceed the costs of delivering these services," Lawrence S. Lewin, chairman of the research panel, said yesterday.

WASHINGTON -- The rising popularity of methamphetamine in the eastern United States indicates a growth in nationwide use of the drug beyond its former domain in California, federal officials said yesterday.Barry R. McCaffrey, the Clinton administration's national drug policy director, said methamphetamine was "probably the worst drug to hit America in 20 years."McCaffrey released a semi-annual report on illicit drug trends that includes information collected from drug researchers, law enforcement officials and substance-abuse treatment workers.