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Rethinking Our War on Drugs: Candid Talk about Controversial Issues Gary L. Fisher PRAEGER P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 R e t h i n k i n g O u r W a r o n D r u g s P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 R e t h i n k i n g O u r W a r o n D r u g s Candid Talk about Controversial Issues Gary L. Fisher ForewordbyWilliamL.White P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Fisher,GaryL. Rethinkingourwarondrugs:candidtalkaboutcontroversialissues/GaryL.Fisher; forewordbyWilliamL.White. p.; cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN–13:978–0–275–99026–8(alk.paper) ISBN–10:0–275–99026–5(alk.paper) 1.Drugcontrol—UnitedStates. 2.Drugcontrol—UnitedStates—History. 3.Drugabuse—UnitedStates—Prevention. I.Title. [DNLM:1.DrugandNarcoticControl—UnitedStates. 2.PublicPolicy—United States. 3.Substance-RelatedDisorders—UnitedStates.] HV5825.F5653 2006 363.450973–dc22 2006024491 BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable. Copyright©2006byGaryL.Fisher Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2006024491 ISBN:0–275–99026–5 Firstpublishedin2006 PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881 AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc. www.praeger.com PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 ToCarole,youinspiremetobehumble. P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 Contents ForewordbyWilliamL.White ix Preface xiii One TheWaronDrugs:IstheBattlePlanWorking? 1 Two TheNationalDrugControlStrategy,1996–2005 11 Three Legalization,Decriminalization,HarmReduction 53 Four HowDangerousIsMarijuana? 71 Five WhyDoesn’ttheNDCSFocusonUnderageDrinking? 87 Six DoesPreventionWork? 99 Seven ControversialIssuesinTreatment 125 Eight CantheSupplyEverBeStopped? 147 Nine ANewModelforaNationalDrugControlPolicy 161 Notes 177 Index 199 P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 P1:FBQ ggbd025-fm.tex ggbd025 C9026/Fisher August24,2006 19:43 Foreword RethinkingOurWaronDrugsarrivesataninterestingtimeinAmericanpolitical andculturalhistory.Afterabriefperiodofreforminthe1960sand1970s(penalty reductions and diversion to treatment), alcohol and other drug problems have beenrestigmatized,demedicalized,andrecriminalizedunderaphilosophyof“zero tolerance”thathasspannedDemocratandRepublicanadministrations.Acentury ago,itappearedthattheUnitedStateswasmovingtowardaveryconsistentpolicy of prohibiting alcohol, tobacco, and the nonmedical use of opiates and cocaine. Afterbriefstateandnationalexperimentswithalcoholprohibitionandlocaland statetobaccoprohibitionintheearlytwentiethcentury,newpolicieswereforged, based on the notion of good drugs and bad drugs. Newly deﬁned good drugs such as alcohol and tobacco were celebrated, commercialized, and aggressively promoted while bad drugs such as heroin and cocaine and later marihuana and hallucinogens were increasingly demonized and criminalized, with prescription psychoactive drugs existing on the border between these two worlds. Most of the policy debates of the past century have occurred within this enduring good drug–baddrugdichotomy.RethinkingOurWaronDrugsis,amongotherthings, acalltotranscendthisdichotomy. ThereisacriticalneedtoelevatethediscussionofAmericandrugpolicy,but severalfactorsworkagainstthis.Individualsandfamiliespersonallyimpactedby addiction are collectively silenced within the shame and stigma in which these problemshavebeenculturallyencased.Atthesametime,theexistingframework of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction feeds billions of dollars ($145 billion in the past 10 years) into institutional economies: innumerable governmentalbodies,lawenforcementagencies,thecourtsystems,anevergrowing prison system, addiction treatment institutions, prevention agencies, and all the