NCJ Number
123317
Date Published
1990
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Nearly every current aspect of the drug issue is framed in the language of war or conflict.
Abstract
The war is not against drugs, but against people who hold particular values and consequently take particular actions regarding drugs. While the "front" of the war seems to be drug-producing countries, no successful policy to end drug use in this country should depend on regulating foreign production. There is almost no evidence that curtailing foreign sources of drugs would end the drug problem in the U.S. In the past, two strategies have been adopted for fighting the war on drugs: the use of force through law, and the use of education and treatment programs. Police actions and strict legal sanctions may deter some from using drugs and encourage some users to stop, but force alone is unlikely to end the drug problem. A reliance on education has some impact, but is of questionable value. The idea of treatment is appealing, but the process of effectively carrying it out is more elusive. Two new strategies beginning to take form are to encourage citizens to tell police about drug use by friends and family members and to shift the burden of proof to the citizen to demonstrate that they do not use drugs. 1 note.