“War on Drugs Shows Some
Successes”
In an ever-changing society= of technological advances and ready access to what was once considered remote,= one thing remains clear – drug use and abuse is a problem that needs cons= tant attention to combat what seems like an ever-increasing crisis. However, the President’s rec= ent release of the 2008 annual report for the National Drug Control Strategy suggests an overall decrease in drug use across t= he board.
In 2002, the President addr= essed the Nation regarding the country’s continuing drug problem, making specific reference to an increase in high schoolers experimenting with ille= gal drugs.[1] In this 2008 report, the President recognized that his administration published its first strategy in 2002, wh= ich was, at the time, “inspired by a great moral imperative.”[2] The President acknowledged that the country must work together to &= #8220;reduce illegal drug use because, over time, drugs rob men, women, and children of their dignity and of their characters.”[3]
While it may be fashionable= to claim that the “war on drugs” is a failure, the actual results suggest otherwise. For exampl= e, this report shows a considerable decline of illicit drug use amongst our country’s youth. In fac= t, such drug use has decreased by 24 percent since 2001.[4] Some of the other significant find= ings include:
|
=
Percent
Reporting Past Month Use[5]<=
/span> |
|
|
Type of Drug |
Percentage change since 2001=
|
|
Any Illicit Drug<= o:p> |
-24 |
|
Ecstasy |
-25 |
|
LSD |
-60 |
|
Amphetamines |
-32 |
|
Methamphetamine |
-64 |
|
Steroids |
-33 |
|
Alcohol |
-15 |
|
Cigarettes |
-33 |
&nbs= p; In addition to there being a notable change in drug use amongst high schoolers, the President’s report indicates a similar decrease in positive drug tests amongst the adult workforce as well.[6] The percentage of workers testing positive for marijuana has declined by 34 percent since 2001.[7] Additionally, Methamphetamine= use among adult workers has declined by 45 percent from 2004 to 2006.[8] “Perhaps most remarkably, ov= erall drug test positives, as measured by Quest Diagnostics’ Testing Index, show the lowest levels of drug use in the adult workforce since 1998.”= ;[9] This across-the-board decrease, se= en both in the adolescent and adult societies, is believed to be evidence of a “cultural shift away from drug use.”[10]
&nbs= p; With this shift comes the obvious question of how such dramatic decreases in drug use have been accomplished since only the turn of the century. In 2002, and continuing still toda= y, the President set forth three “National Priorities” with which this country was going to combat drug use and abuse.[11] Those priorities include: Stopping= Drug Use Before it Starts, Intervening and Healing America’s Drug Users, a= nd Disrupting the Market for Illegal Drugs.&n= bsp;
Of significant importance in furthering those priorities is the crackdown on marijuana use.[12] “Drug control efforts must aggressively target marijuana.”[13] This is especially true in combati= ng youth drug use, since “research indicates that those who initiate drug use at an early age are significantly more likely to develop substance abus= e or dependence.”[14] How is this information important = in stopping drug use before it starts? The answer seems rather simple – “aside from the misuse = of prescription drugs, marijuana is the drug most frequently cited by new initiates of illicit drug use.”[15] The association of early marijuana= use to the use of other drugs later in life provides a compelling argument for focusing on marijuana prevention.
In addition to targeting ma= rijuana to prevent drug use before it starts, there is another compelling reason to= target that specific drug. Not only = is it being used by the younger population, its potency has hit a record high.[16] This fact is significant because it increases the dangers associated with its use. “Because their brains are st= ill developing, young people who use marijuana regularly are especially vulnera= ble to the drug’s effects on their brains.”[17] In addition, the increased potency= of marijuana has “coincided with drastic increases in emergency room vis= its involving marijuana.”[18]
The bottom line is that hundreds of thousands of
adolescents and adults are not using drugs or have stopped using drugs beca=
use
of the “war on drugs.” <=
/span>However,
“these results do not mean that our wor=
k is
done. Rather, they provide a charter for future efforts.”[19]
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