Reality Check: Laws and Drug Control

Drug laws, in the United States, are as strong, or stronger, than any other country in the world. The Controlled Substances Act, Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse, Prevention, and Control Act of 1970 is the law that forms the foundation for the so-called War on Drugs. This law covers how drugs are manufactured and classified, drug prevention, drug enforcement, and descriptions of offenses and their penalties (DEAa, 2004). The National Drug Control Strategy sets forth a three-pronged approach for dealing with the drug problem in the United States (NDCP, 2002). According to the National Drug Control Strategy, the first line of defense, in the War on Drugs, is stopping drug use before it starts, through drug education programs and community action. The second line of defense consists of ensuring that drug treatment resources are allocated appropriately. The third line of defense is actively seeking out and destroying the organizations that fund and transport drugs; thus, disrupting the drug market by attacking its economic base (NDCP, 2002). While these laws and policies have lofty goals and seem to make many promises, it is necessary to investigate the reality of the situations they have helped to produce since their creation and implementation.