Illicit drug abuse has become a permanent, integral, and serious problem of society. National strategies focused on supply reduction have reached the limits of their effectiveness, and efforts at demand reduction are unlikely to affect some segments of society. Thus, the future of drug enforcement should have a local focus with the involvement of entire local police forces in collaboration with all local government agencies. The police should consider drug problems as a permanent and major part of their work and should take a problem-oriented approach. Federal agencies should provide support but not leadership for this effort. 31 references and list of other agency publications are included.