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Focus More On Cutting Demand For Illegal Drugs: N.Y. Times

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime & Justice News

"The White House contends that the U.S. is scoring big

wins in the war on drugs, especially against cocaine

cartels. Cocaine seizures are up - leading to higher

prices on American streets. Cocaine use by

teenagers is down, and, officials say, workplace tests

suggest adult use is falling. The New York Times

says in an editorial that the official enthusiasm "rests

on a very selective reading of the data. Another look

suggests that despite the billions of dollars the U.S.

has spent battling the cartels, it has hardly made a

dent in the cocaine trade.'

While seizures are up, so are shipments. The cartels

are not running for cover. Mexico and parts of Central

America are being swept up in drug-related violence.

About 2.5 percent of Americans used cocaine at least

once in 2006, the same percentage as in 2002,

according to the Department of Health and Human

Services. The Times say there are serious problems

with a strategy that focuses overwhelmingly on

disrupting the supply of drugs while doing far too little

to curb domestic demand. The newspaper says the

government should spend more on treating drug

addicts and less on putting them in jail. Drug courts,

which sentence users to treatment, deal with a small

minority of drug cases and should be vastly expanded.

Drug-treatment programs for imprisoned drug

abusers, especially juvenile offenders, must also be

expanded. Until demand is curbed at home, there is

no chance of winning the war on drugs."

New York Times - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001EgwwshVZBMluoLy1Eob242-HZVKUR3En4a16dP0xQaAfQg2hVjLQ7E8UdZlehVl5DfAuzv0ktnhS3p6qiEJg_iGKNOLSZ4p6YFth8g7BVozp9eBGmDNX61Re7GaM4DVXbrjG-3lwYjpXtj_TiNVNdR_mXlzRUb3wCaZceh995TvPG9Esh7O4Ug==

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on July 02, 2008 (boomark / email).