NCJ Number
235415
Date Published
1975
Length
142 pages
Annotation
This book reflects the thinking of the Commissioner of the New York City Addiction Services Agency who served from August 1970 until November 1973.
Abstract
This book is designed to clarify some basic issues for drug program administrators, legislators, physicians, educators, and laymen who engage in defining and responding to the nation's drug problems. This book was written specifically to debrief the Drug Abuse Council on the Commissioners "lessons learned" during his time served. This book is divided into 3 sections: 1) The Ecology of Drug Abuse which discuses the current "catastrophic" situation of drug addiction, the availability of the drugs, the addicts and abusers themselves and who they are, the relationship between crime and drug addiction, and current programs and constituencies; 2) The Drug Abuse Agency which describes the structure of drug treatment agencies, operations of drug treatment agencies, planning for treatment, personnel who administer treatment, site selection for the treatment center, evaluation and research of the programs, available private and public information, prevention strategies, intergovernmental relations with the centers, and innovations in treating drug addiction; and 3) Drug Abuse Strategy which outlines how to build a strategy and assimilate the recovered addicts, multiple drug abuse challenges faced in treatment, decriminalization of drug addiction, compulsory treatment for abusers, and some short-term policy proposals.