Sign the Resolution for a Federal
Commission on Drug Policy Sign the Resolution for a Federal
Commission on Drug Policy
Contents | Feedback | Search | DRCNet Home Page | Join DRCNet
DRCNet Library | Schaffer Library | The Drug Legalization Debate
WHY the GUIDE IS NECESSARY
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.
DEA 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. instil 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
prolegalization 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.
Contents | Feedback | Search | DRCNet Home Page | Join DRCNet
DRCNet Library | Schaffer Library | The Drug Legalization Debate