"I'm pleased to be able to help prevent drug use, not only by voting for legislation to combat drug trafficking and educate our children, but through participation in the Race Against Drugs and donating to the Safe Streets Campaign in Tacoma," said Smith.

The Kmart Kids Race Against Drugs tour was created in 1996 and provides $500 to a charity in the name of each Congressional participant. Participants race around a track in a small motorized vehicle and are timed. The ten fastest racers each receive an additional $1000 for their charity. The event was co-chaired by Mary Lou Retton and Isiah Thomas.

Smith will donate to the Safe Streets Campaign, a program in Tacoma that works to combat drug use and gang violence. The Safe Streets Campaign, formed in 1989, is a community-based anti- crime and anti-drug initiative that has helped neighborhoods establish block watches. It has been a successful component of Tacoma's revitalization.

The House is also slated to debate two anti-drug measures today: the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act and the Drug Demand Reduction Act.

The Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act will strengthen international efforts to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs into the United States.

The Drug Demand Reduction Act authorizes funding for a national anti-drug media campaign, creates programs to promote drug-free workplaces, prisons and schools, consolidates and coordinates existing federal drug prevention and treatment programs, and encourages private drug manufacturers to develop and market new anti-addiction medications.

"It's very important that, in fighting drugs, we work to reduce supply by preventing drugs from coming into America," Smith explained. "At the same time, we must also reduce demand by treating drug addicts and educating children about the dangers of drug use."