NCJ Number
153988
Date Published
1995
Length
36 pages
Annotation
Designed to help people judge for themselves the effectiveness of Federal drug policy, this report focuses on four areas that are at the heart of public concern about drugs: illicit drug use, drug-related crime, drugs in the workplace, and the impact of drugs on health and health-care costs.
Abstract
The four topics discussed broadly embrace the 14 national drug policy goals set by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 1994. Each section of this report discusses key aspects of the Nation's drug problems and reviews the combined efforts of the Clinton administration and the U.S. Congress to address these major public concerns. In addition, the report describes programs that are making a difference in reducing drug use in communities across the country. In its assessment of national drug policy to date, the report concludes that despite a massive investment of money at the Federal, State, and local levels, drug addiction, drug-related crime, and drug availability have not declined, and street prices for drugs have plummeted; moreover, drug use among youth has risen substantially for the first time in more than a decade. The public has become less concerned about the ideology of drug policy and more concerned about what works to mitigate the problem. Of critical importance is research that assesses the effectiveness of various policies and programs. Achieving any lasting reduction of drug use will require a long-term commitment to prevention, treatment, education, and research, as well as law enforcement. An objective review of the entire range of enforcement activities is needed to determine which ones produce the best results. 63 references