NCJ Number
133891
Editor(s)
M J Seng,
G J Bensinger
Date Published
1990
Length
75 pages
Annotation
Topics discussed in these symposium papers include an overview of the Nation's drug problem; Federal, urban, and suburban police approaches to demand reduction; the need to place the drug problem in perspective; and a review of treatment resources available in Illinois.
Abstract
The opening paper advises that drug abuse continues to be a significant problem at all levels of American society. Another paper defines police efforts at drug demand reduction as "law enforcement activities designed to reduce demand for illicit drugs within a jurisdiction." Excluded from this definition are such activities as education, counseling, and community or public relations. Under such a view, police reduce demand for drugs by increasing the user's risk of legal sanctions and increasing the cost of drugs by reducing the supply and increasing risk for drug traffickers. A variety of drug enforcement strategies used successfully by the Chicago Police Department are profiled. A third paper discusses the use of multijurisdictional, urban-suburban drug enforcement units to reduce drug distribution, use, and demand across jurisdictional lines. Another paper advises against an inordinate focus on police actions as the means to address the drug problem. Education is viewed as the most appropriate means of drug demand reduction. The concluding paper discusses drug treatment strategies, notably the use of a diversified, client-specific approach mandated for the client by the legal system.