Blind Ambitions and Political Rhetoric: Why We Need a New Drug Strategy
Abstract
When President Bush announced his drug war strategy on 5 September 1989, he promised a new and bold approach to curtailing illegal drug use in America. Though he allocated more funding for demand efforts, the four strategies were essentially the same as those of his predecessor. His 1992 strategy proclaimed the drug war center of gravity as the drug traffickers' home base of operations. Mr. Bush expects to damage trafficking operations and cause a rise in street level prices for drugs. Higher prices, coupled with law enforcement pressures, are to drive consumers to treatment. Supply and demand tactics are numerous. With resources and manpower focused in several directions, it is impossible to effectively control any one area. If supply sources are damaged at all, treatment facilities have not been expanded to handle the expected influx of clients. It is therefore proposed that attention be centered on reducing demand. This paper gives several solutions to reducing drug consumption, violence and the social ills which cause them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA251325
Entities
People
- Sheila R. Helm
Organizations
- United States Army War College