NCJ Number
172369
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The best way to cut the drug market is to decrease society's tolerance for illicit drug use; this means creating painful consequences for illicit drug use to help the nonuser stay clean, and providing more and better programs to help the current drug users get clean.
Abstract
Law enforcement aimed at drug supply is an important but small part of the solution to the drug problem; the drug problem will not be solved by criminal sanction. Along with deterring use and punishing sales, more must be learned about causes and prevention of drug use. The battle to end the drug abuse epidemic is likely to be won or lost in families and neighborhoods, in workplaces and in schools. The debate about whether or not to legalize drugs simply delays the important commitment to reject the use of illicit drugs. It also demoralizes the people most committed to ending the drug problem by raising questions about national support for their vital efforts. The problem with drugs is drug use. Every proposed reform that makes drugs more available or acceptable is going to increase drug use. It would also increase the suffering and unhappiness that flows from drug use for both users and nonusers of drugs.