This is the second in a series of blogs here at onlinedrugclass.com looking at the role of government with respect to the war on drugs. In the first we looked at the cancelation of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring survey (ADAM), the top form of gathering information regarding the use and abuse of many illicit drugs.
Does this sound like a good idea? Do you think the government should play a greater role in fighting drug abuse? As reported in www.thedailybeast.com.
Here is a little history behind the program that was just let go without a single congressman fighting for it.
Pioneered by Eric Wish in the 1970s, The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring survey (ADAM II), cancelled as a result of budget cuts, went into what has become the virtual hub of America’s drug war: prison.
Originally known as Drug Use Forecasting (DUF), it revolved around the practice of interviewing prisoners and taking urine samples. The procedure was simple: Researchers would speak with arrestees in booking facilities and ask them questions about their drug use. Which ones. How often. For what cost. Who else likes it, too.
Given that those arrested have such a high proclivity for drug use I think this program is integral in understanding the nature of drug use as it is associated with criminal behavior. I think this is a valuable use of federal tax dollars. We will continue to look at this topic in the next onlinedruglcass.com blog.