I. Drug-Control Strategy: An Overview
Drug Control is a Continuous Challenge
The metaphor of a "war on drugs" is misleading. Although wars are expected to end, drug control is a continuous challenge. The moment we believe ourselves victorious and drop our guard, the drug problem will resurface with the next generation. In order to reduce demand for drugs, prevention efforts must be ongoing. The chronically addicted should be held accountable for negative behavior and offered treatment to help change destructive patterns. Addicts must be helped, not defeated. While we seek to reduce demand, we also must target supply.
Cancer is a more appropriate metaphor for the nation's drug problem. Dealing with cancer is a long-term proposition. It requires the mobilization of support mechanisms -- medical, educational, and societal -- to check the spread of the disease and improve the prognosis. The symptoms of the illness must be managed while the root cause is attacked. The key to reducing both drug abuse and cancer is research-driven prevention coupled with cutting-edge treatment.
