Destructive Impact of Drugs on the United States: How the Legalization of Drugs Would Jeopardize the Health and Safety of the American People and Our Nation

• NCJ Number: 182826
• Author(s): Rob Housman; Pancho Kinney
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 46 pages
• Corporate Author: Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; NCJRS Photocopy Services; Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This monograph considers what proponents of drug legalization want to achieve, exposes the fallacies and realities of what drug legalization means, and offers a balanced approach to fighting drugs according to the National Drug Control Strategy.

Abstract

In the last 2 years, youth drug use rates have leveled off and in many cases are now declining. Moreover, overall drug use in the United States is now half what it was in the 1970's. During this same period, cocaine use has fallen by 75 percent, and drug-related murders have reached their lowest point in over a decade. On the international front, cocaine production in Bolivia and Peru has decreased by 300 metric tons over the past 4 years. Working with the rest of the international community, the United States has built a strong cooperation framework through the United Nations and the Organization of American States. In the context of drug legalization, these advances provide a solid foundation on which to build. Instead of focusing on making drugs more available, the emphasis must be on prevention, treatment, enforcement, interdiction, and international cooperation. Pros and cons of drug legalization are discussed in terms of human and economic costs, drug prices, the impact on young people, workplace accidents and productivity, and harmful drug effects. 125 footnotes