Publisher's Synopsis
The United States has waged war, declared and undeclared, against drug abuse for eight decades. It has spent countless billions of dollars on strategies that, at least on paper, mandate a coordinated and balanced attack against drug abuse on the supply and demand fronts. This has included efforts at eradication, interdiction, education, prevention, treatment and global cooperation. The good news is that casual drug use in America is reportedly down. The bad news is that hard core, addictive drug use is on the rise. The national drug control strategies have been disproportionately weighted to support supply-oriented programs aimed at the eradication of drugs at their source and the interdiction of drugs before they reach US consumers. This study briefly examines the history of America?s fight against drug abuse, offering an explanation as to why the country has so insisted on supply-oriented strategies. It focuses on the national drug control strategies of the last decade, specifically those of Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton and offers recommendations for improving future programs.
