When Darnell Jackson takes over as the state drug czar Oct. 7, it will mark the first time a police officer is at the helm of the state Office of Drug Control Policy.
"I feel pressure to get it done and get this thing turned around," Jackson said. "I want to get the office more involved with the public."
Gov. John Engler announced Jackson's appointment Monday.
"(Jackson) is ideally suited to lead Michigan's drug control policy," Engler said in a statement. "Not only is his reputation one of being tough on dope dealers, he is also adept at educating communities and forming partnerships with them to take back their neighborhoods from drug-dealing predators."
Most recently in his lengthy drug-enforcement career, Jackson has served as a member of the Saginaw Police Department, prosecuting drug cases. He said he would use his experience as a tool for spreading a stronger anti-drug message.
"I want to focus more on prevention and education, rather than on treatment and incarceration," he said.
College students will be one target of his anti-drug efforts, Jackson said. "I want to tell them there's no such thing as recreational and casual drug use, because by doing drugs once, you open a door to a highway where the only exits are death and imprisonment."
Engler spokesperson John Truscott said he expects Jackson to take a "proactive role" in the office. "He'll be very visible," Truscott said. "He knows what it takes on street level to get the job done and he has a big story to tell."
The Office of Drug Policy, which has about a dozen employees, disburses approximately $40 million in U.S. Justice Department grants to state drug-fighting groups each year. The groups include undercover drug units in law enforcement agencies and programs like Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
Former Gov. James Blanchard created the drug czar post in 1989, appointing Donald Reisig, a former president of the Michigan Bar Association.
After Engler defeated Blanchard in 1990, he tapped New York native Robert Peterson for the post.
Peterson drew fire for controversial positions, such as his crusade to take $32 million in federal drug education money away from Michigan school health programs, which included sections on sex education. Since Peterson resigned from the post last August, attorney Thomas Ginster has served as acting director.
But Truscott said Peterson's problems were partly a result of ''turf wars'' over Engler's push to consolidate federal grants from throughout state government under the drug office's control.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.