182. Telegram 253482 From the Department of State to All Posts1 2
Washington, October 24, 1975, 1631Z
Subject:
- White Paper on Drug Abuse
Ref:
- State 233134, State 248155
For Chiefs of Mission from the Acting Secretary
- 1.
- You will have noted from the referenced telegram that drug abuse and the illicit drug traffic remain matters of serious concern to the USG in general and to the President in particular. To quote the white paper: “No matter how hard we fight the problem of drug abuse at home, we cannot make really significant progress unless we succeed in gaining cooperation from foreign governments, because many of the serious drugs originate in foreign countries....In order to encourage the greatest possible commitment from other governments to this joint problem, the task force believes that narcotics control should be discussed at the highest levels, to adequately communicate our deep concern over international drug trafficking and our commitment to control it.” The Department is in full accord with this statement.
- 2.
- I wish to remind each of you that the Department, in keeping with its leadership responsibilities within the Cabinet Committee for International Narcotics Control, and in view of its responsibility for the foreign relations of the United States, continues to place a high priority on our worldwide efforts to halt the illicit production of and traffic in drugs.
- 3.
- You will recall the Secretary’s message of October 23, 1974 (State 233134) conveying the presidential directive on drugs on the occasion of National Drug Abuse Prevention Week. In response to that a number of helpful comments and suggestions were received. The White House has now directed each federal agency with direct drug control program responsibilities to analyze and respond to the white paper by December 15, 1975.
- 4.
- I ask you to again review your Mission’s drug control efforts and to be alert to new opportunities to promote U.S. drug control objectives in your country. I would also ask that you pay particular attention to U.S. drug objectives when formulating overall U.S. policy recommendations relative to your country. Finally, if appropriate in view of the importance of this problem in your area, I would welcome constructive proposals and recommendations from you by the end of November so that they may be available for consideration in the preparation of the Department’s response to the White House directive.
- 5.
- Copies of the white paper have been forwarded with A-6549, October 20, 1975.
Kissinger
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Unclassified. Drafted by Buczaski and Ernst; and approved by Ingersoll, Vance, and Borg. The report was published under the title, Government Printing Office, 1975.↩
- In light of the recently-published White Paper on Drug Abuse, the Department urged all missions to promote U.S. drug control objectives abroad.↩