The Federal Drug Policy: A Summary
The President introduced a substantial sized plan to reduce drug use with the help of the ONDCP (The Office of the National Drug Control Policy) in 2002. The plan was geared towards minors who were in the age ranges of 18 and younger. The plan was set to do more than just make the statistics look better; it was designed to achieve its goals of deterring young people from doing drugs.
The other problem with trying to deter people from doing drugs was what to do with them in the meantime. There needed to be treatment for these young people to avoid future encounters with drugs. The President also wanted to take a look at where many young people have their first encounters with the drug dealers, the school yard.
Stopping Use before it Starts
One of the objectives of the National Drug Control Drug Strategy is to “debunk the myths” about drugs.” (ONDCS, 2004) We are currently facing a serious crisis in which many people are blind to the facts that drug use occurs in real life and not just a mini series. There are substantial statistics which show that drug use is growing and infesting elementary school aged children by the time that they reach the fifth grade. (ONDCP, 2004).
The plan is also working towards removing drug dealers from the streets. While it is a myth that drug dealers give “samples”: to entice young people, this is not the case. (ONDCS, 2004).In fact dealers can be quite enticing and convincing to a young person who is not aware or educated about the lasting effects of drugs. The President wants to stop drug use in all minors but this is much easier said than done. While the President is aware of the severity of the situation he is offering suggestions that will hopefully reduce the number of minors using drugs. The end-results are not only the responsibility of the President but also local, state and federal law enforcement. It is also the responsibility of the parents, and the faculty of the schools in which the drug problem is a concern. We can all sit around all day and hand the responsibility to the next person in line, but eventually someone will realize that no one took on the problem. Then where will we be? We will be right back where we started, in a crisis with no solution, or no one to take it on.
This very type of uncertainty is why the President is allocating more money to student drug testing programs. This is a program which many schools are seeking out to ensure the safety of the students and to help those who have problems with drugs. There will be up to $23 million dollars allocated for testing of students. This does not include the $145 million dollars which will be set aside for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. This campaign supports anti-drug messages which will be geared towards teenagers who are susceptible to use drugs. (ONDCP 2004)
The examples above are measures which entail the stepping up of the schools and the communities which surround the schools. With the help of the policy and community, with the assistance of the local law enforcement it sends drug dealers a message loud and clear, that they are not wanted around the schools! The communities must show that they are committed to enforcing not only the law but their own moral beliefs! Kids do listen if they are taught from someone that they respect such as their parents or siblings. It doesn’t take much time to explain to your kids why they shouldn’t do drugs.
Most schools now days offer the DARE program and guidance from teachers and other adults for youth who are unsure what to do in a situation that could be dangerous, such as the use of drugs. There are so many people willing to help that the school is a safe outlet for those in need of help or guidance.
Healing Americas Drug Users
The next problem we are faced with is provided the treatment which is and will be needed for those who abuse illegal drugs. This is more than just throwing up four walls, with a few therapists added to the mix and calling it therapy. This will include substance abuse and mental health services. This will provide people with the care that they need to avoid further overflow of inmates in local prisons and defendants into our court rooms. The program is designed to help those who are addicted, and in some cases not fully addicted. The main objective is to eliminate the use of drugs for the long term. The program is designed to teach the youth that they do not need to be dependant on drugs, that there is more to life than this dangerous dependency.
The program also takes into consideration that some people will not be able to follow through or even begin the rehabilitative treatment due to financial restraints. The use of vouchers will accommodate those who are suffering from a financial hardship. These vouchers can be used at faith based agencies as well as other agencies who will take the vouchers for a form of payment. (ONDCP, 2004)
The program is based upon three key elements of access to recovery. The first key element is flexibility, the second is results oriented, and the third is the increased capacity. With flexibility it enables the use of a voucher for people who are in need of treatment to select the program in which they will receive the treatment. In using results oriented the institutions will be expected to develop systems with an incentive for positive outcomes. The increased capacity is estimated to provide services for up to 100K people per year. (ONDCP, 2004).
The major problem with this is that most people are in denial and do not believe that they need treatment. There are more people with numbers reaching into the millions, of almost 6 million who do not want treatment. There are almost 1.5 million who received treatment, while 88K did not get treatment, and 274K who felt they needed treatment but did not seek treatment. (ONDCP, 2004).
Disrupting the Market
The only way to put a dent in the market is to disrupt its operations. However this will not be as easily done as we may think. We have illegal drugs which come into our country from all over the world. The best things we can do are to focus on what we can get our hands on. There have been several large busts which have shown that we can make a difference in taking our streets back.
During the past year there have been at least eight large organizations which were taken down. (ONDCP, 2004) There are also efforts being made on the part of law enforcement agencies to stop money laundering and any suspicious drug money from being considered legitimate. (ONDCP, 2004). While these efforts may not sound like they amount to much, they are huge efforts on the parts of our officers who are working these cases on a daily basis. It is also important to take into consideration that the producers of the drugs should be targets as well. Without the production of the drugs it makes it much harder for the dealers to be supplied with drugs to sell. The impact of even one arrest is far better than none, because we are still better off having one less drug dealer, or producer than if no effort had been made at all.
Conclusion
Overall the policy is a well stated policy but the biggest reality check is that we cannot catch all the drug dealers and producers. There will always be more when one steps aside or is arrested. We will continue to fight but we will not win this war. I believe that the President is noble in his intentions but we cannot win a war that is larger than we even realize. I do not believe that this means we should give up but we are missing the full picture that we are in over our heads.
The statistics which show the millions of people who do not want help will only increase. The factor of drugs increasing in cost will only increase the amount of crimes which are committed in order to obtain these drugs. People who are addicted will not quit doing the drugs because they can’t afford them, they will find a way even if it means committing crimes.
The policy seems to be somewhat effective but it has not been long enough to see a long term result. We will see in 10 years or so, but for the most part I believe that the results are somewhat inconclusive at this time because they have not been watched for a long enough period.
