Reagan Signs Tough Drug Bill
WASHINGTON — President Reagan today signed a sweeping anti-drug bill that contains many provisions he strongly endorsed, including a federal death penalty for drug lords and steep civil fines for casual users.
The $2.8-billion drug bill also creates a Cabinet-level drug czar to coordinate the nation’s narcotics enforcement efforts. The task of filling the high-profile post will be left to President-elect George Bush, who already has received bids from Customs Commissioner William Von Raab and Associate Atty. Gen. Francis Keating. The two-year bill attempts to reduce both the supply and demand side of the narcotics problem, providing additional funds for interdiction and treatment programs.
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