Conclusion

Federal drug policy is at a crossroads. Ambiguous cultural messages and changing attitudes among our young people have contributed to a sharp increase in the rate of youthful drug use.

Increased use of heroin and methamphetamine by the population at large threatens to generate vast new addict populations. Cuts to enforcement programs have frustrated the efforts of line agents and police officers. By cutting back on drug interdiction, the federal government has permitted the importation of vast quantities of illegal drugs, helping to ensure the creation of a new generation of addicts and complicating the job of every federal, state, and local law enforcement officer trying to push back the tide of violent crime generated by the drug trade.

Federal law enforcement agencies are staffed by dedicated investigators, agents, prosecutors, and corrections personnel. But these professionals are being asked to do more and more with essentially the same resources, placing enormous strains on their agencies.

It is time for the Administration to adopt a balanced drug strategy. The strategy should target prevention and treatment resources to areas of need. But it must absolutely ensure that federal enforcement and interdiction systems receive the support they need in the fight to keep our nation free from the terror of violent crime and the other disastrous social consequences of illegal drug use. The recently passed appropriation for the Department of Justice increases the budgets of DEA and the FBI, and will close some of the gap between the level of funding and the level of need. Thoughtful, well-conceived policies must also support drug control agencies' mission. The American people deserve no less.