Foreword
Americans are united in their belief that the drug problem represents a serious threat to our country. The campaign to reduce drug abuse in America is a comprehensive, concerted effort by all levels of government -- federal, state, and local -- as well as non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and individual citizens. The 1999 federal drug control budget is a record $17.8 billion; of this, over 33 percent, or $5.9 billion, is spent on demand reduction efforts. This does not include spending by states, local communities, or private organizations. We have seen positive results from our combined efforts. Current drug use (that is use of an illicit drug in the previous month) among those 12 or older is now estimated at approximately 13.9 million Americans, or 6.4 percent of the population. This is a decline of over 50 percent since 1979 when 14.1 percent of Americans were current drug users.
Our goal is to cut today’s drug use in half -- to 3.1 percent of the population -- by the year 2007. We need to bring down the level of drug abuse. Moreover, drug abuse is costly to Americans. In financial terms, drug abuse costs approximately $110 billion annually. More serious than that, however, is the cost of drug use to the societal underpinnings of our country. Drug abuse fuels crime, fills our emergency rooms, means lost productivity to businesses, and lost futures to teens.
The National Drug Control Strategy is a ten-year plan for reducing drug use in America. The Strategy proposes international, interdiction, and law enforcement efforts to reduce the availability of drugs in the United States. But primary among its goals is reducing the demand for drugs. Research has shown that those addicted to drugs impose greater health costs upon society and are responsible for more of our crime. Demand reduction’s approach is to treat and rehabilitate the addicted, convince the occasional user to stop using, and prevent non-uses from ever starting.
Education, prevention, and treatment are the components of demand reduction. This booklet highlights the major federal, demand reduction programs and initiatives now underway which will help bring drug use to historic new lows. These initiatives and programs are not the only demand reduction efforts in the United States. The solution calls for a coordinated, nationwide effort that incorporates every level of government, neighborhood organization, and community structure. Demand reduction is everyone’s business. Together, we can have an impact on the future of America
Barry R. McCaffrey
Director
