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III. New Community -
Cracking Down on Drugs
" I'm going to do everything I can to implement the 1995 National
Drug Control Strategy...We propose to work more closely with foreign
governments to cut drugs off at the source. We propose to boost
community efforts to educate young people about the dangers and
penalties of drug use...We will work to break
the cycle of crime and drugs providing treatment to hardcore drug users,
who consume most of the drugs and cause much of the crime and health
problems. And we will punish people who
break the law more severely."
-- President Clinton
February 8, 1995
Background: Illegal Drugs are Still a Problem
Widespread Use. 1 in 3 Americans have used an illicit drug; 1
in 9 have tried cocaine. Half of high school seniors have tried drugs,
and 1 in 5 use them regularly.
Alarming New Trends. Kids: After years of decline, in 1991,
we started to see signs of increasing drug use among adolescents. And
surveys show that fewer 8th, 10th and 12th graders have
a clear understanding of the risks associated with drug use -- and are
using more drugs. Drug Availability: Illegal drugs remain readily
available to anyone who wants to buy them. Cocaine
and heroine street prices are low and purity is high. And marijuana -- 10 times as potent as
in previous years -- threatens to entice a new generation of drug users.
The Costs of Drug Use. Drugs cost society an estimated $67
billion -- 70% of which covers crime costs; 30% of which covers
health-related costs. That's why, despite shrinking government and
reducing the deficit, the Administration's Drug Strategy budget is the largest in history -- $14.6
billion to fight drugs.
A Four Part Drug Strategy
Crack Down on Hard-Core Drug Use
Heavy drug users consume a majority of the nation's illegal drug
supply. Although hardcore users account for only about 20% of all
cocaine users, they consume about two-thirds of the
available cocaine. And hardcore drug use is linked to a disproportionate
amount of crime and violence. On any given day, more than half the
arrestees in our cities test positive for drug
use. Treating these drug users can save us money -- as much as $7 per
treatment dollar -- and reduce crime. That's why our Strategy includes:
$919.8 million for the Substance Abuse Performance Partnership,
including a $60 million set-aside for the heaviest drug users;
$150 million for Drug Courts and $40.2 million for treatment in
prisons, so we can use courts, jails and prisons to turn
crime-committing addicts around.
Send a Strong No Use Message to Our Kids
Recent surveys show that adolescent drug use -- and the feeling that
drugs are cool and not dangerous -- is on the rise. Studies also show an
alarming level of violence in our schools,
much of it tied to drug use. Our kids need to get a strong "no" message
on drugs -- as well as on guns and gangs. Our Strategy proposes:
$500 million for the Department of
Education's Safe
and Drug-Free Schools program, to give states the money to fund drug
prevention programs like DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), train
parents on the warning signs of drug use and to pay for more police and
metal detectors; and
Implementation and funding of the Crime Bill's prevention programs, to help keep kids in school, off
drugs and out of trouble.
Reduce Drug-Related Crime and Violence
Implement the 1994 Crime Bill. The nation took a major step forward when Congress passed the President's Crime Bill. It includes key tools and resource to help communities reduce drug use and
trafficking, such as:
100,000 more police in community policing, to do everything from helping break-up open-air drug markets to teaching kids about the dangers of drugs;
drug enforcement task forces that can cover several jurisdictions; increased
resources for the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF); and drug courts.
Tough Federal Drug Enforcement. The Strategy calls for increased coordination of federal anti-drug enforcement efforts, including:
a new comprehensive initiative to reduce marijuana cultivation;
targeted investigative resources on m
ajor drug traffickers;
expanded border control drug enforcement; and
increased coordination with private sector to crack down on money laundering.
Cut Drugs at the Source
Last year, the President signed a Presidential Decision Directive outlining a 4-pronged
strategy to reduce the flow of cocaine from the Andean countries. It includes (1) strengthening
the law enforcement and judicial institutions in source countries; (2) destroying narco-trafficking
organizations; (3) working to interdict drugs at their source as well as en route to the
United States and (4) increasing international cooperation on the drug issue.