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American Morning
Anti-drug Activist Speaks
Aired June 28, 2002 - 08:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to introduce you now to a man known as Steven Steiner. He's a man on a mission. And ever since his teenage son died from a drug overdose, back in January of 2001, Steiner is devoting his life to getting drugs off the street.
His group, Dads and Mad Moms Against Drug Dealers, or DAMMADD, has a phone line and a Web site offering cash rewards for tips that lead to convictions.
Steven Steiner, parent and crusader. He's with us now.
Good morning to you.
STEVEN STEINER, FOUNDER, DADS AND MAD MOMS AGAINST DRUG DEALERS: Good morning.
HEMMER: Do you feel like a crusader?
STEINER: No. I just feel like a dedicated father who can't let this happen to other parents.
HEMMER: What happened to your son?
STEINER: Stevie died of a prescription drug overdose in Florida, January 29, 2001. And it just -- the phone call I still remember getting at 12:30. I was in Endicott, New York. And it just was totally devastating.
HEMMER: Right. Did you know at the time he had a problem?
STEINER: Stevie, I would call it as a weekend warrior, OK? He would party on the weekends. He would drink, he would smoke pot. Again, I told him not to even do that kind of -- those drugs, because they're as deadly too. He went down to Florida and got himself a good job making $1,000 a week. He was an electrician. You know, he told everybody he didn't want to be like his dad, but he was exactly like his dad.
HEMMER: So now we have you as a parent who has lost a son, a big part of your life. Steven Steiner, the man, takes his business, electrical engineering contracting company?
STEINER: Well, I was an electrical contractor.
HEMMER: You sell the company.
STEINER: Yes.
HEMMER: And you start what?
STEINER: Well, we start trying to be a part of the solution. I mean you can't ignore the drug problem anywhere. You have to be proactive. And I had a vision back many years ago that I brought to school administrators in New Jersey, where I used to live. And they balked at the idea. They probably didn't have the message back then. But when my son died...
HEMMER: How many years ago was that?
STEINER: Oh, I'm going to say when Stevie was, you know -- in the '80s, when he was in junior high school.
HEMMER: So you had that thought way back then?
STEINER: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. It just...
HEMMER: So you have a Web site set up?
STEINER: Yes.
HEMMER: And your Web site is designed to do what, Steven?
STEINER: Well, it's designed to really inform people across America where they can go and get information, get information on DAMMADD, where they can leave tips. Those tips go into an application that we just launched back a year ago after Stevie's death -- launched it in Broome County, at my local sheriff's department.
That information, what basically happens is the tip is left, and it goes into a Web-based application we call LEUI, Law Enforcement User Interface. And this allows law enforcement to log in over the Internet, with several different passwords, retrieve the information and basically go after the drug dealers.
HEMMER: There was a case that may be successful in Broome, New York. In fact, it happened on Tuesday night.
STEINER: Well...
HEMMER: A suspect was picked up there -- and there's no conviction yet, but there are charges, apparently. And knowing this case has happened in your part of the world, in your part of New York State, gives you what sort of sense?
STEINER: Well, it makes me feel, you know, I know the system works. It's convincing other law enforcement agencies across the country. I mean we have a big stronghold, basically, in New York State, up in the state of Maine, where we're trying to expand this. And some law enforcement agencies kind of just, you know, blow me off, to say the least.
But we're turning our...
HEMMER: But the others are receptive, right?
STEINER: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And the ones that do, the information pays off.
HEMMER: You know, I understand you have almost 40 law enforcement agencies in different parts of the country right now that has come into essentially agreement.
STEINER: Yes.
HEMMER: We can show the map of the country. And I'm curious to know from you what kind of support do you think you're picking up on this right now?
STEINER: Well, I'll tell you, I was up in the state of Maine this past weekend, up in Brewer, Maine. We did a presentation. And the folks up there, which I know are watching today, you know, really made me proud, made me feel like we were doing something. And they are really embracing the whole idea. We're getting good information. We even had an arrest, a heroin arrest up in Maine. So it's working.
HEMMER: It's taking root.
STEINER: Absolutely.
HEMMER: And you have White House support, too.
STEINER: Well, we also have Gov. Pataki's support, too. We're starting dialogue in reference to the Rockefeller drug laws. We need help. The silent majority: That's the problem here in the state of New York, anyway, is that you have the reformers and the legalizers who are bombarding the legislature with all this disinformation, and the other side of the fence is waking up. And I need everybody who really feels as strongly as I do about drugs.
The system in New York, although the legalizers and the reformers will make everybody think across the country that the drug laws here in New York, you get caught, you go away for life, no one does life here in New York, OK? No one, believe me. It's a revolving door system.
HEMMER: Listen, good luck to you.
Steven Steiner...
STEINER: One last thing.
HEMMER: Quickly.
STEINER: We need help. We need help. We need donations. If they can go to our Web site and donate, we need your help.
HEMMER: Guy, we put the Web site up a short time ago. Your son was 19 years old. You still are a relatively young man yourself. So you can continue to fight for a long time.
STEINER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: You got it, pal.
Have a good weekend.
STEINER: Yes.
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