NCJ Number
228195
Date Published
May 2003
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This paper, prepared by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, presents 10 factual assertions that portray America's experience with drug use, the current state of the drug problem, and what might happen if America chooses to adopt a more permissive policy on drug abuse.
Abstract
The paper first states that significant progress has been made in fighting drug use and drug trafficking in America, and it concludes that now is not the time to abandon this effort. A second statement advises that a balanced approach of prevention, enforcement, and treatment is the key to countering drug use and trafficking. A third statement notes that illegal drugs are illegal because they harm users. This is followed up with the statement that smoked marijuana is not scientifically approved medicine and that Marinol, the legal version of medical marijuana, is approved by science. The fifth statement reports that drug-control spending is a minor portion of the U.S. budget, particularly when compared to the social cost of drug abuse and addiction. The sixth statement advises that the legalization of drugs will lead to increased drug use and increased levels of addiction. It argues that legalization has been tried before, and it "failed miserably." The seventh statement is that "Crime, violence, and drug use go hand-in-hand." The eighth "fact" reports that alcohol has caused significant health, social, and crime problems in America, and legalized drugs would only make the situation worse. The ninth "fact" argues that Europe's more liberal drug policies are not the right model for America. The 10th "fact" states that most nonviolent drug users get treatment, not jail time. Following each of the 10 statements, data are presented to support it. Extensive figures