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WHY THE GUIDE IS NECESSARY
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DEA Statement The Facts This Guide was developed by the The reason they developed this Drug Enforcement Administration in guide was very simple. They are response to requests by law getting beat -- badly -- every time enforcement executives, community they show up for a debate. The leaders, substance abuse evidence is simply overwhelming prevention counselors, parent and that our drug policy needs serious family advocates, and others for reform, and it is starting to show. DEA's help in responding to legalization issues and questions. We well understand that responding to these issues and answering the questions can be a challenge. Questions about legalization often touch on many issues: crime, violence, criminal justice and economic costs; health, behavior and development; the quality of family, community and social life; and employment and productivity. Few are prepared to answer such diverse questions thoroughly, let alone stay current on the research and spot the flaws and distortions in others' arguments. Yet, questions are asked and they must be answered. This Guide offers you a strategy and resource for doing so. Discussions about legalization are This is simply not true. The drug usually abstract and theoretical, warriors are losing the public which suits proponents of debate on this issue because of the legalization fine. A dialogue most concrete, pragmatic reasons. without boundaries or benchmarks The drug war is a failure as an works to their advantage. For approach to the drug problem and those engaged in the daytoday work there is no way to redeem it. We of the real solution to America' s could not afford to pursue this drug problem--reducing the supply policy to a successful conclusion, and the demand for illegal drugs, even if it was a good idea -- and as well as addressing the criminal it is not a good idea. It isn't a activity caused by drug matter of what we want to do trafficking and use--taking time anymore, it is a matter of what we out to discuss legalization can do. questions can be a frustrating undertaking. This Guide offers you the resource information to discuss this issue in a reasonable and informed manner. THE DEA POSITION DEA Statement The Facts DEA is unequivocally opposed to As the DEA itself points out later the legalization of illicit drugs. in their book, there is no clear definition of "legalization" but, whatever it is, they are against it. Actually, "legalization" is not the issue, because we really don't know if we will ever do it. The issue is really whether we need serious reform of the current policy, no matter what that reform may be called. It would be more accurate to state that the DEA is unequivocally opposed to any reform at all. Legalization in any form would Whether a drug is perceived as likely: having risks and costs is not a product of the law, but of public (1) reduce the perception of the education. Even if the law was a risks and costs of use; major factor in those perceptions, this still would not be a good justification to throw individual drug users in prison. (2) increase availability of and It should first be pointed out that access to harmful drugs; the DEA itself admits that it has (3) increase demand, use, abuse never had a major impact on and addiction; and availability of drugs in the United States and there is no hope that it ever will. In point of fact, this policy often makes the illegal drugs more available to schoolchildren than alcohol is. The availability of alcohol to children was one of the major reasons that alcohol Prohibition was repealed. Whether availability, demand, use, abuse and addiction would increase depends upon what you mean by "legalization". If you mean that there would be cocaine vending machines alongside the tobacco vending machines, and convenience store clerks would wink as they sold heroin to children in the same way that they wink when they sell tobacco, then drug use might increase. If the drug laws are somewhat more sensible, there is good evidence to believe that drug use would drop. (4) remove the social sanction There are many ways to have social against drug abuse that is sanctions reinforced in legislation reinforced in legislation. and everyone would agree that some laws are necessary to achieve best results with the drug problem. The question is whether it does any good to enforce those social sanctions with prison. All the evidence says that prison does more harm than good. The present social problems in the The Drug War benefits only two United States, including crime, groups of people -- The drug health problems and poverty, are barons, and the drug enforcement substantial and can only worsen if barons. For the drug barons, the drugs become legal. The arguments drug war guarantees high profits for legalization are a sad and with comparatively low risk. For bitter offering to the most the drug enforcement barons it is vulnerable segment of our their very livelihood. It is the population. Legalization would reason they can spend billions of increase risks and costs to dollars on fancy drug-detecting individuals, families and technology, aircraft, and radar communities--indeed, to every part balloons, even while the figures of the nation--without clearly show that none of these compensating benefits. tactics provides any real benefit to the situation. Any proposal with the potential to The DEA has set up a straw man of do these things is unacceptable. what they deem "legalization" to As public policy, it is be. In doing so, they have shown fundamentally flawed. that they really don't even understand the arguments. In the fanatical protection of their own interests, they have missed the points entirely. WHO/WHEN/WHERE TO USE DEA Statement The Facts When DEA asked law enforcement Basically, what the DEA is trying executives, community leaders and to say here is that the drug prevention advocates exactly what warriors were getting their butts they want and need to address kicked pretty thoroughly every time legalization questions, the they came out for a public debate answers were clear. They said, "It on this issue. It was a major is essential that the facts embarrassment for them to have drug regarding the true implications of warriors being struck speechless the legalization issue be made and unable to respond every time known. Help us to explain this they got into a discussion in front complex issue to our families, of a public group. Whenever the friends and fellow citizens. Put drug warriors appeared, they would it in words everyone can be confronted by people who knew understand. And give us the the facts on the issue and made it support we need to continue to apparent that the drug warriors did make the case until it doesn't not know the facts. have to be made anymore." The drug warriors would also be This Guide is the first step in confronted by simple undeniable helping to deliver the credible, logic: Even if you assumed the consistent message about the risks facts to be as the drug warriors and costs of the legalization of have stated them, our drug policy drugs to people in terms that make still does not make sense. sense to them. The antilegalization message is effective when communicated by representatives of the Federal Government, but takes on even more credibility when it comes from those in the community who can put the legalization debate in local perspective. DEA will undertake the ongoing work of responding to your inquiries, updating and expanding the guide as necessary and evaluating its usefulness and impact. We invite you to provide your views on this publication. We hope the Guide will be used in several ways. For local law enforcement executives, community leaders, prevention advocates and others, the Guide should serve, first, as an open invitation to join in making the affirmative case against legalization. Second, it provides background and practical answers to the most commonly asked questions about the legalization of drugs. REMEMBERDEA Statement The Facts There are a few things to remember This is no surprise. There has when discussing the legalization been a concerted media campaign to issue. instill this belief in the American public over the last several First, according to reliable decades by the DEA, its public opinion polls, the majority predecessors, and its allies. of the American people and Everyone should read the references lawmakers agree that drugs should listed at the back of the this not be legalized. section just to see what a long-term concerted and malicious propaganda campaign can achieve. Second, when discussing Strangely enough, information is legalization, it is important that the one thing that all drug all available information and warriors seem to be short on in experiences are brought out into debates. There are very few who the open. This can be accomplished can provide even the most basic by asking the "tough" questions. facts about the drug problem, such Some of these questions are listed as the number of people killed by on page 8. Insist that any drugs, the number of people in discussion be based on a specific prison, why drugs were made illegal definition of how legalization in the first place, etc. The should be implemented, not an problem, in a nutshell, is the abstract theory. ignorance of the drug warriors. Third, don't lose faith. This is a This was copied from my Persuasive long and difficult effort we are Strategies. When I first wrote undertaking to get our issues on Persuasive Strategies a few years the table and be heard. Eventually ago I realized that, at the time, the climate will change and it was often hard to get people to pro legalization arguments will listen to rational arguments on again be out of fashion. While the drug policy. I wanted to give debate appears to be cyclical, reform activists some encouragement having more resonance in certain to stay in the game until the circumstances, we must continue to debate turned their way, as I knew impress upon audiences, and it would. As it turns out, I ultimately the American people, underestimated the whole situation. that legalization would be a Reform activists are beating the devastating defeat to the snot out of the drug warriors in commitment that so many have made every debate and don't really need to living free, healthy and a lot of encouragement and "faith." unfettered in our nation. I would agree that the drug warriors probably need it. |
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