Major provisions of the 1988 Act authorize additional funds for law enforcement and drug abuse education and treatment, establish controls over chemicals used in illegal drug manufacture, establish penalties for diverting precursor chemicals into illegal drug manufacture, deny certain Federal benefits to drug offenders, prohibit awards to Federal contractors who fail to maintain drug-free workplaces, impose the death penalty for certain drug-related killings, create a cabinet-level "drug czar," enhance civil and criminal penalties against drug users, and strengthen international narcotics control programs. The Congressional role in counternarcotics is oriented toward supply reduction, bilateral arrangements, and a preference for the "stick" rather than the "carrot." Congressional involvement in international narcotics control is part of an overall expanded role in foreign policy, and that role is shaped and limited by legislative organizational structure. The Congressional role in international narcotics policy is twofold, legislation and oversight. Members of Congress may also influence narcotics policy by using informal contacts to provide advice to the executive branch and to foreign government representatives. Congress is placing more emphasis on multilateral cooperation in the international war on drugs, with the 1988 Act urging the formation of regional antinarcotics forces and stressing the need for an integrated regional plan to fight cocaine trafficking. 37 references.